


Don't Come Home

by orphan_account



Category: USWNT - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-27
Updated: 2014-07-22
Packaged: 2018-01-10 05:01:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 21,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1155400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“But we knew this would happen, Lex.  We knew it would be hard and we agreed to go through it together.” Tobin reminded the forward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

“I finally got Peyton to bed.” Tobin announced, walking into the bedroom she shared with Alex.  
Tobin stopped when she got to the doorway, frowning when she noticed clothes strewn all over the floor and Alex’s suitcases sitting on the bed, open and full of clothes. The forward was in the middle of the room, folding clothes to put inside the suitcases. The forward paid no attention to Tobin, and continued her activities.  
“Alex?” Tobin called cautiously.  
Alex hummed a response and Tobin stepped a little further into the room.  
“Alex, what are you doing?” Tobin asked.  
“Packing.”  
Tobin tried not to roll her eyes or scoff at the bluntness of the statement.  
“Packing for what?” Tobin reworded.  
“Germany.”  
Tobin knitted her eyebrows in confusion and stepped another foot closer to Alex.  
“Why are you going to Germany?” Tobin questioned.  
Alex sighed loudly and turned to face Tobin.  
“I signed with Bayern. I’m leaving for Germany tomorrow morning and staying at a friend’s house tonight.” Alex explained in detail.  
Tobin was frozen by the door, confused beyond words.  
“What about me and Peyton?” Tobin asked.  
Alex rolled her eyes.  
“God, Tobin, you’re so fucking oblivious.” Alex scoffed.  
Tobin didn’t dare to move.  
“You’re leaving us?” Tobin asked.  
Alex nodded.  
“Yes, Tobin. I’m leaving you.” Alex said in a voice she often used to speak to Peyton.  
Tobin tried to think, but her thoughts wouldn’t piece together.  
“Why?” was all she could manage to ask.  
Alex bit her lip and turned back to her clothes.  
“It’s too much stress, Tobin. I can’t take it.” Alex explained.  
“But we knew this would happen, Lex. We knew it would be hard and we agreed to go through it together.” Tobin reminded the forward.  
Alex sighed and zipped up her suitcases. Tobin stood by the door as Alex drug her bags to the hallway wordlessly, trying to keep the tears from falling. Tobin followed Alex to the front door, where she checked her phone.  
“Lex, we can get through this.” Tobin pleaded.  
Headlights from a car shone through the small window by the front door, and Alex opened it, taking her bags to the trunk to pack them away. Tobin noticed Servando in the driver’s seat, and he sent Tobin a small wave. The midfielder stared at him without a sign of acknowledging his presence, and Alex came inside for her final bag.  
“I’m sorry to do this to you, Tobin, and to Peyton especially. But it’s too much, and you have to-“ Alex began.  
“Please just go.” Tobin begged, still trying to keep the tears back.  
Alex nodded quietly and stepped out the door partially, turning to face Tobin one last time.  
“Tell Peyton I love her.” Alex asked, closing the door behind her.  
Tobin dropped her head into her hands and slid down the now closed door, tears flowing as the midfielder cried into her hands. Servando’s headlights flashed through the window one more time and everything was dark again.  
Alex was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Make her do it before she can regret it.” Mana suggested.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is short :/ I'm easing into it, but the chapters will get longer (:

Tobin stood in the doorway of the house, watching the workers unload the boxes from the large moving truck. Peyton, who had turned five months old a week ago, was perched on Tobin’s hip, gurgling excitedly as her Aunt Allie and Aunt Mana walked in and out of the house passed her.   
“Everything is unloaded, ma’am.” One of the workers announced.  
Tobin thanked the men and Allie stepped forward to pay them while Tobin met Mana in the kitchen.  
“How has Peyton been?” the Hawaiian asked.  
Tobin shrugged and set the baby in her high chair, looking in the refrigerator for baby food.   
“She doesn’t seem to have noticed.” Tobin replied.  
Peyton, as if on cue, giggled happily as Tobin made faces at her, and flung her arms around wildly when she spotted the food in Tobin’s hand.  
“What about you?” Allie asked, walking to the dining table.  
Tobin found a spoon and took a seat in front of Peyton’s high chair, starting to feed the five month old.  
“I’m good.” Tobin replied simply.  
Alex had left two weeks ago to the day, and two days after she left, Mana and Allie had decided upon moving in with Tobin to help her care for Peyton.  
Tobin had returned to her normal routine, but the New Jersey native wasn’t going to lie- she was struggling immensely with the task of raising her daughter alone. The help from her teammates was extremely helpful, too.  
“I mean emotionally, Tobes.” Allie replied.  
Tobin stopped and Mana immediately stepped in, taking the feeding duties while Tobin and Allie left the room to talk.  
“It’s different, Allie, that’s for sure, but for some reason, it feels normal.” Tobin admitted.  
Allie sat on the couch and nodded.  
“What are you going to do about next week?” Allie asked.  
In a week, the national team was meeting for a training camp in Los Angeles to prepare for World Cup qualifying, and Tobin hadn’t even thought of the dilemma until now. The midfielder simply sighed and ran a hand through her hair, falling onto the couch next to Allie.  
“I don’t know, Al.” Tobin answered.  
Allie nodded.  
“But I won’t let Alex see her.” Tobin added.  
Allie raised an eyebrow in confusion, looking at Tobin for further explanation.  
“She left Peyton’s life, and I’m not letting her back into it.” Tobin noted.  
Allie bit her lip.  
“But she’s still legally Peyton’s mother.” Allie pointed out.  
Tobin nodded in agreement.  
“I know. And we need to get a divorce, too.”  
The women were silent for a moment until Mana walked into the living room, Peyton in her arms.  
“Take the papers with you to camp and make her sign them. Make her do it before she can regret it.” Mana suggested.  
Allie nodded when Tobin looked at her, and the midfielder took in a deep breath before standing and walking over to Mana and Peyton.  
“How’s Mommy’s little girl?” Tobin cooed.  
Peyton giggled and threw her arms around until Tobin had her safely in her arms, holding her tightly against her body.  
“We’ll go get them today.” Tobin told her teammates.  
Allie and Mana nodded in agreement and Tobin turned, walking down the hallway to Peyton’s bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Where’s Peyton?”  
> Tobin set her fork down next to her plate at the sound of the voice, taking her napkin off her lap and putting it beside the fork.

“Tobin, dinner starts in thirty minutes.” Lauren called.  
Tobin looked away from her computer screen for a moment, nodding in acknowledgement to Lauren’s warning before looking back.  
“Can you bring Peyton to the screen?” Tobin asked Allie.  
The blonde nodded and Mana stepped into view as Allie left to get the baby.  
“Have you seen her yet?” Mana asked.  
Tobin shook her head.  
“She’s supposed to come in after dinner.” Tobin replied.  
The Hawaiian nodded and Allie came back into view, Peyton gurgling at the computer, pushing her hands towards the camera.  
“Hi, Peyton.” Tobin cooed.  
The little girl smiled through the camera and Tobin’s smile grew.  
“Mommy misses you, baby girl, but I’ll be home soon, okay?”  
Tobin knew the young girl didn’t understand her, or even know why she was able to see her mother, but Tobin continued speaking.  
“Mommy just has some work to do, and I’ll be back in two weeks. Aunty Mana and Aunty Allie will take care of you, okay, Peyton?” Tobin asked.  
The baby laughed at the computer screen and Tobin smiled at her daughter’s actions.  
“Mommy will talk to you tomorrow.” Tobin promised.  
“I love you.” Tobin whispered.  
Allie lead Peyton back to her play pin on the other end of the living room, and Mana was alone in the camera once again.  
“What are you going to do?” Mana asked.  
Tobin shrugged.  
“I’m sticking to the plan. I won’t come home until the papers are signed.” Tobin replied.  
Mana nodded and, once again, Allie came back into the camera view.  
"Just do it soon, okay?" Allie told Tobin.  
The midfielder nodded.  
"She has to sign them." Tobin said, half for her own assurance.  
Allie and Mana nodded.  
"Good luck." Mana wished.  
"And don't let her throw you off." Allie reminded the midfielder.  
Tobin smiled, thankful to have such supportive friends.  
"Thanks, guys. I'll call you tomorrow." Tobin promised, ending the Skype call.  
Tobin closed her laptop and turned to face Tobin.  
"You ready?" the Indiana native asked.  
Tobin nodded, folding up the custody papers and sticking them in her back pocket.  
"Let's go." Tobin agreed, walking out the door.  
\---  
Tobin engaged easily in the gossip at her dinner table, talking animatedly and passing around her phone to show pictures of Peyton.  
"She's so cute! I can't wait to meet her." Pinoe gushed.  
Tobin smiled and shrugged.  
"Next camp." Tobin promised.  
Pinoe waved her hands happily for a second before a waiter came to take their orders, and Kelley smiled broadly.  
"Tell us about that Instagram photo from last week, Tobes." Kelley demanded.  
Tobin laughed. Last week, Tobin posted a picture of Peyton on the street in front of their house, Tobin's skateboard under her little hands.  
"I was riding my board and Allie and Mana were playing with Peyton on the front lawn, and when I took a break for some water, she grabbed my board and just held it in her hands, giving me a look to tell me it was her turn to be the spotlight."  
The people at the table awed and smiled.  
"I can't believe she's already crawling." A-Rod replied.  
Everyone nodded.  
"She's learning fast." Tobin agreed.  
"I just can't get over how cute she is! Every time I see a picture, my heart melts." Kelley gushed.  
Everyone nodded again in agreement.  
"I can't wait to meet her." Pinoe said again.  
Tobin smiled and nodded.  
"I'm sure she'll be happy, too. She likes being the center of attention." Tobin told them.  
Lauren nodded in agreement and A-Rod joined in.   
The waiter reappeared with their food, and Tobin took a bite of it, smiling.  
"Peyton would love this." Tobin told everyone.  
A-Rod raised an eyebrow.  
"What about the baby food?" she asked.  
Tobin laughed.  
"The girl loves the steak and mashed potatoes baby food." Tobin answered.  
A-Rod gave a confused look and Tobin shrugged.  
"The kid eats like a champ." Tobin told them honestly.  
Pinoe and Kelley, who were sitting on the opposite side of the table, suddenly stopped smiling and gave glares to whatever was behind Tobin.  
“Where’s Peyton?”  
Tobin set her fork down next to her plate at the sound of the voice, taking her napkin off her lap and putting it beside the fork.  
“Why do you care?” Tobin replied without turning in her chair.  
There was silence, and Tobin knew everyone in the dining room was watching them. Tobin took Alex’s silence as an opportunity to stand and face the woman.  
“Because last time I checked, you left her when you went to Germany.” Tobin reminded the forward.  
Alex sighed and closed her eyes for a moment before looking to Tobin.  
“Tobin, I told you, it was too much for me to handle.” Alex replied.  
Tobin scoffed laughing slightly.  
“Bull shit, Alex.” Tobin called.  
Alex raised an eyebrow.  
“Excuse me?” the forward asked.  
Tobin looked directly into Alex’s eyes.  
“That’s bull shit. I told you we could work it out together, and you insisted on bailing out. Whatever happened to never quitting? Because you certainly quit trying to raise my daughter.” Tobin challenged.  
“Our daughter.” Alex corrected.  
“Fuck no.” Tobin spat.  
“I’m just not ready.” Alex answered.  
“Then why did you tell me you were when we first did the IV?” Tobin asked.  
Alex frowned.  
“I thought I was.” Alex replied in a quiet voice.  
Tobin scoffed and rolled her eyes.  
“Just let me see her, please.” Alex pleaded.  
Tobin shook her head.  
“You can’t.” Tobin replied.  
“She’s still my daughter.” Alex reminded the midfielder.  
Tobin nodded.  
“She is. But she’s not here.” Tobin agreed.  
Alex raised an eyebrow.  
“Did you really think I’d bring her to the one place she’d see the woman who left her?” Tobin asked Alex.  
Alex was quiet and shrugged.  
“I didn’t think you’d leave your child.” Alex tried to guilt Tobin.  
Tobin laughed dryly.   
“Mana and Allie are watching her. I didn’t abandon her like you.” Tobin spat, grabbing her phone and leaving the dining room.  
Alex stood alone in the middle of the room, all of her teammates’ eyes watching her. Lauren and A-Rod were glaring at the forward, and the stares were unavoidable. Slowly, people turned back to their conversations, but Tobin’s accusations stuck in Alex’s head.  
She had abandoned her baby. She’d actually done what she had sworn she’d never do.


	4. Chapter 4

Alex walked down the hallway to her room, where she'd room with Kelley. When she got outside her door, she heard voices and stopped.  
"It'll be a good break for Mana and Allie every once in a while."   
Kelley's voice.  
"That's true. Did Sky Blue already agree to it?"  
Tobin.  
"Coach said that whatever I want, he'll sign for. Merritt just has to agree to give someone of yours and it's all set." Kelley replied.  
"Who?" Tobin asked.  
"Bue said she'd go."   
Alex frowned.  
Kelley was going to Portland?  
"I appreciate all this, Kell." Tobin thanked.  
Alex knitted her eyebrows in confusion.  
"No problem, Tobes. Anything to help.' Kelley replied.  
Alex took this time to slide her key in the lock and push open the door, sighing dramatically.  
"I finally get to rest." Alex sighed, stopping when she saw Tobin.  
The forward pretended to be shocked, and Tobin quickly got off Kelley's bed, grabbing her phone.  
"I'll talk to you later, Kell." Tobin told the defender.  
Kelley nodded and Tobin hurried out of the room without acknowledging Alex any further than she already had. Alex sighed and out her bag on the empty bed.  
"How much did you hear?" Kelley asked, fear in her voice.  
Alex shrugged.  
"Enough." the forward replied.  
Kelley swallowed and chewed her lip.  
"Why are you trading?" Alex asked, acting like she didn't already know.  
Kelley chewed her lip again.  
"Tobin needs the help." Kelley replied.  
"She can't do it with two other people?" Alex accused.  
Kelley scoffed.  
"Look, she deserves her sleep, okay? It's not just taking care of Peyton, either, it's the fact that she'll have somebody who cares about her." Kelley replied harshly.  
Alex turned to face the defender.  
"Why didn't Tobin bring her?" Alex asked.  
Kelley rolled her eyes.  
"Did you really think she'd bring her five month old daughter on a place to Los Angeles a month after her mother left her?" Kelley asked.  
Alex shrugged.  
"Better than leaving her."  
"She didn't leave! YOU left Peyton, not Tobin! Tobin left her for two weeks, and in good hands! Stop saying Tobin left her, because YOU did, Alex, not Tobin!" Kelley yelled.  
Alex stepped back, appalled at seeing Kelley so angry. The defender never got angry, let alone this angry.  
Alex was at a loss for words. Kelley's chest rose and fell as she glared at Alex angrily.  
"Stop accusing Tobin of leaving Peyton because that's just disgusting." Kelley said, taking her phone and leaving the room.  
Alex sighed and fell back onto her bed, letting Kelley's words sink into her mind.  
She was right. Tobin didn't do anything.  
\---  
Kelley came back into the room a few hours later, Hope following her with their hands held tightly together.  
"Why can't I stay in your room?" Kelley whined.  
Hope shook her head.  
"Kelley, you know you aren't allowed to."  
Kelley sighed and then her eyes spotted Alex, who was lying on her bed, trying to fall asleep.  
“I’ll see you in the morning.” Hope promised, kissing Kelley on the cheek and leaving the room.  
Kelley avoided Alex as she walked to her bed, falling onto it and scrolling through something on her phone.  
“Why do you all hate me?” Alex asked.  
Kelley looked at Alex as if she were growing a third eye.  
“Did you seriously just ask that?” Kelley asked.  
Alex nodded.  
“You left your wife and daughter, Alex.” Kelley reminded her.  
“I know, Kelley. But why is that so bad? I was stressed, what’s so wrong about that?” Alex asked.  
Kelley rolled her eyes.  
“You don’t get it, Alex.” Kelley stated.  
Alex waited for Kelley to tell her more.  
“Alex, everyone knows you never resolve to quitting. Yet you didn’t even try to make it work out. You know Tobin would’ve been patient with you.” Kelley told the forward.  
Alex bit her lip. The defender was right, as much as Alex hated to admit it.  
“Alex, you aren’t even trying.” Kelley added.  
Alex raised an eyebrow.  
“If you really want them back, you have to do something to force Tobin to let you.” Kelley suggested.  
Alex nodded in thought, an idea already brewing in her mind.  
\---  
The rest of camp wasn’t any better than the first few days.  
Tobin would pass around pictures of Peyton at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and sometimes she'd even be on Skype and Alex could hear her daughter's laughter, and her heart would ache. If she was anywhere near, Tobin would refuse to show pictures or a video that Alex could see, and the forward's only access to her daughter was old pictures on Instagram.   
"Can I see?" Alex asked the midfielder at a team lunch, three days before camp was scheduled to end.  
Tobin was showing the team a video of Peyton crawling, one hand on her skateboard as she took it from Mana. The midfielder stopped and looked to Alex coldly.  
"Sorry, but no." Tobin spat, locking her phone.  
Alex felt her anger boil, frustrated she couldn't see videos of her own daughter.  
It was getting ridiculous and Alex was pissed off.  
"Fine." she said simply, leaving the dining hall.  
Alex went straight back to her room, collapsing onto her bed and pulling out her phone. She paused when she found her lock screen- her the first time was able to hold Peyton. The forward's heart tightened and Alex found her contact list, dialing her agent.  
"Alex, what's up?" Joshua greeted.  
Alex sighed.  
"I need you to do me a huge favor." Alex replied.  
"Anything." Joshua answered.  
Alex sighed and remembered the last few minutes, the entire camp, and how Tobin refused to let Alex see anything involving Peyton. The forward took another deep breath and nodded, to confirm her thoughts.  
It had to be done.


	5. Chapter 5

"They'll be in your inbox shortly." Joshua promised.  
Alex sighed.  
"Thank you." she replied  
Joshua hummed a response and hung up, leaving Alex alone in her room once again. The forward looked at her lock screen again, going to Instagram to review the videos of Peyton when she noticed a post from Mana. Alex waited for it to load and then pressed the play button, her heart dropping the her stomach.  
Tobin was on a computer screen, smiling and talking to Peyton. The little girl giggled and gurgled, reaching her hands out and touching the screen.  
"Ma ma." Peyton stated.  
Tobin's face lit up and she nodded.  
"Yeah, Peyton, it's mama." Tobin replied.  
Alex felt tears welling in her eyes and quickly wiped them away when she heard the door opening.  
"Hey." Alex greeted Kelley.  
Kelley gave her a cautious look and tilted her head in response.  
"One more day of training and then recovery and we go home." Alex notified the defender, trying to change the subject.  
"I know." Kelley replied.  
Alex nodded and chewed the inside of her cheek nervously, feeling her phone buzz with an email notification. The forward pulled out her phone and checked the email, pausing when she read the subject line and looking to Kelley, who eyed her cautiously.  
"Do you know if there's a computer room?" Alex asked.  
Kelley looked blankly at Alex.  
"Lobby." she replied.  
Alex nodded and quickly left the room, adrenaline pumping.  
\---  
A day left of camp, and everyone would be gone tomorrow.   
The first recovery session, the field one, had been completed in the morning, and the only one left was a pool session before dinner.   
Tobin still refused to speak to Alex, and the forward watched the video of Peyton over and over, her heart aching at the happiness in Tobin's voice as she spoke to their daughter.  
"Tobin, can I speak to you after dinner?" Alex asked, approaching Tobin at the end of lunch.  
Tobin raised an eyebrow.  
"Alex, please, you," Tobin began.  
"I made my decision, I know. I just need to give you something before I catch my flight tonight." Alex interrupted.  
Tobin thought for a minute.  
"Fine. My room, right after lunch. Lauren will be hanging out with A-Rod for thirty minutes, so that's all you have." Tobin said through her teeth before walking away.  
Alex took in a deep breath and nodded, before going to join Sydney and Abby to eat.  
\---  
True to her word, Tobin was waiting in her room as soon as dinner had ended, and answered the door for Alex immediately, letting the forward slip inside.  
"What do you want?" Tobin asked blatantly.   
Alex sat in a chair at the small table by the TV, and Tobin did the same. Alex placed a Manila envelope on the table and sat back in her chair expectantly. Tobin looked down at the envelope, confused, as she slowly reached towards it to pick it up.  
"What is this?" Tobin asked, tearing the seal.  
Alex just watched the midfielder take the papers from the envelope and read over them before looking at Tobin.  
"It's a court appearance date." Alex replied.  
Tobin knitted her eyebrows in confusion.  
"For what?" Tobin asked Alex, fearing she knew what they were.  
Alex sucked in air through her lips and stood from her chair, looking Tobin straight in the eyes.  
"To get custody of my daughter."


	6. Chapter 6

Lauren stopped at the door of her hotel room when she heard loud crying from inside. The curly haired midfielder started to panic, and quickly threw the door open, heart pounding and fearing the worst. Tobin was inside, curled into a ball on one of the seats by the small table, head on her knees, body shaking as she sobbed. The midfielder body shook as she cried, and Tobin let out pained whimpers every so often. Lauren didn't waste a minute in hurrying to the midfielder, holding her tightly against her body and softly rubbing Tobin's back.  
"Shh, shh." Lauren soothed.  
Tobin continued sobbing, showing no signs of letting up.  
"Shh, Tobin, what happened?" Lauren asked.  
Tobin shook her head, handing an envelope to Lauren with a shaky hand. The midfielder cautiously opened it, heart breaking as she read the words: Tobin Powell Heath is to report to the Portland, Oregon on the last Friday of the month of February for a court appearance to fight for custody over Peyton Kelley Heath.   
The Indiana native quickly texted A-Rod and Kelley to get over there, and opened the door slightly so they could walk right in.  
Lauren then walked back to Tobin, who was still curled up and sobbing on the couch.  
"It'll be okay, Tobin, it'll be okay." Lauren soothed.  
Kelley and A-Rod came within a few minutes, and Lauren directed them to the envelope when she noticed their confused faces when they noticed Tobin crying. They were soon hurrying around the room- A-Rod getting water, Kelley finding some snacks and a movie on Netflix, and Lauren sitting by Tobin's side, holding the young girl tightly.  
After thirty minutes, Lauren was able to get Tobin to sit upright, and they pulled chairs around her, Tobin's head resting on Lauren's shoulder.   
"Why would she do that?" A-Rod wondered out loud.  
Tobin shrugged, fresh tears pricking at her eyes.  
"Can we not talk about it?" Tobin asked, her voice scratchy.  
The other three women nodded and Tobin lifted her head a little. they all say around for a few minutes longer before Lauren spoke up.  
"Do you want to watch a movie?" the older woman asked.  
Tobin shrugged.  
"Just give me a minute." Tobin said, her voice sounding distant.  
The other three women watched as Tobin grabbed her phone and room key, walking out the front door like a zombie, oblivious to the other three people in the room.  
Lauren looked to the other three girls.  
"What do we do now?" Kelley asked.  
A-Rod shrugged and they both looked to Lauren.  
"Give her some time." Lauren instructed.  
"But what if she hurts herself?" Kelley asked.  
Lauren's hook her head.  
"Tobin wouldn't do that to Peyton. And she wouldn't give Alex custody that easily." Lauren told the defender.  
Kelley nodded and looked to the waiting Netflix home screen.  
"Movie?" she offered.  
Lauren and A-Rod nodded, and the three women chose a movie  
\---  
Tobin walked through the hotel slowly, stopping when she got to the indoor pool where the team had been a little over three hours ago. The midfielder found the furthest corner of the room and sat down on the concrete floor, pulling her phone from her pocket and dialing her home phone number.  
"Hello?" Allie asked.  
"Al? Can I talk to Peyton?" Tobin asked.  
Allie must have heard the desperation in Tobin's voice, and she gave the phone over without questions.   
"Peyton?" Tobin asked.  
Tobin heard gurgling on the other end and smiled softly.  
"Hey, baby girl, it's mommy." Tobin greeted.  
Peyton giggled.  
"I just want to let you know I love you lots, okay? Always remember that, baby girl." Tobin said.  
Tears were flowing down Tobin's cheeks again as she spoke, and she then decided to end it.  
"Sleep well tonight, Peyton, and mommy will be home tomorrow, okay? I love you, baby." Tobin ended.  
Tobin let her phone fall into her lap and she tilted her head back against the wall and let the tears roll down her cheeks, waiting for her body to run out of tears.  
\---  
Hope Solo sighed as she left her room, a little annoyed he couldn't spend the night in Kelley's room since Alex was leaving. But, Kelley said Tobin needed her, and Hope knew Tobin was in a rough spot right now. The keeper had decided to go for a private pool recovery session while she had two hours until curfew.  
Hope scrolled through Twitter as she walked to the pool, sliding her room key to open the door and finding a seat to put her stuff on. The goalkeeper stopped when she got the odd feeling someone was watching her.  
Hope looked to the far corner of the pool, frowning when she noticed Tobin, asleep against the wall. The keeper tucked her phone into her hand again and grabbed her valuables, walking to the corner and feeing her chest tighten. Tobin was completely knocked out against the wall, tears stained on her face, most likely having cried herself to sleep.  
The keeper bent down and lifted Tobin into her arms, deciding to carry the midfielder back of her room.  
\---  
The three women turned when they heard the hotel room door open, and frowned when they noticed Hope walk in with Tobin asleep in her arms.  
"I found her by the pool, asleep against the wall." Hope explained.  
Lauren pulls back the sheets on Tobin's bed and Hope set her on the mattress, letting Lauren out the covers over Tobin's body.  
"Thank you, Hope." Kelley smiled.  
Hope nodded in acknowledgement and kissed Kelley on the cheek.  
"I'll see you in the morning." Hope stated, leaving the room.  
A-Rod looked to the other girls.  
"Should we just go to bed?" The blonde asked.  
Lauren nodded.  
"It'll be a long day tomorrow." Lauren announced, walking to get in the bed next to Tobin.  
"I'll sleep here tonight." Kelley offered.  
Lauren smiled thankfully and Kelley slid under the covers next to Tobin, turning off their nightstand lamp.  
"'Night guys." Kelley called.  
Lauren and A-Rod echoed her and the lights were shut off. And everything was dark.  
Much like the current situation.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day was pure hell to say the least.  
Tobin woke up with a pounding headache, unsure of how she’d gotten back to her room, with her three best friends knocked out around her room. Her suitcases had somehow already been packed, and her plane ticket was sitting on her duffel bag.  
The alarm suddenly went off and Kelley, A-Rod, and Lauren all groaned and got out of bed, stopping when they noticed Tobin sitting at the same table she was at last night, looking through the papers from the folder Alex had given her.  
“Tob, c’mon, we should head to breakfast.” Lauren interrupted, taking the papers.  
Tobin reluctantly agreed and went through the gestures as Lauren helped her get ready and the three women walked down the breakfast with her, waving away everyone’s looks as they watched in confusion.  
The midfielder was like a ghost as she walked around the dining room, staring straight ahead and ignoring anyone who spoke to her.   
At one point, Reece yelled out to Christie and Tobin broke down in tears at the sound of the little girl calling for her mother.   
Lauren was glad almost everyone had left already.  
The curly haired midfielder took Tobin back upstairs and helped her move her bags onto a luggage trolly before following the girl down to the lobby.  
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Lauren asked.  
Tobin nodded, finally looking at Lauren. The Indiana native found her heart breaking as she looked at Tobin.  
“Text me at every check point.” Lauren made Tobin promise.  
The younger midfielder nodded and sighed loudly as the taxi driver opened the door for her expectantly.  
“I’ll talk to you soon.” Lauren smiled.  
Tobin didn’t return the gesture and simply shrugged and nodded, hugging Lauren weakly and getting into the taxi.   
As Tobin’s taxi drove off, Lauren watched sadly, taking out her phone and immediately dialing Tobin’s number. The girl picked up on the third ring.  
“Tob?” Lauren asked.  
“Yeah?” Tobin replied.  
Lauren took a shaky breath.  
“Please take care of yourself.” Lauren answered.  
Tobin took in a deep breath and Lauren hoped she was smiling softly.  
“I will, Chen. I promise.”  
Lauren heard Tobin’s voice crack and sat back onto a bench outside the hotel.  
“I love you.” Lauren whispered.  
Tobin sighed.  
“I love you, too, Chen.”  
\-----   
Tobin rolled through security slowly and quietly, earning several stares from curious people. The midfielder was sure her eyes were still red and puffy from all the crying last night, too.  
When Tobin found her gate, she took a seat closest to the boarding tunnel and set all of her stuff down, taking out her phone. Somewhere along the way, someone sat beside Tobin, and the girl didn’t notice until she was watching a video of Peyton and they spoke up.  
“She yours?”  
Tobin looked to face the man who asked, and smiled, nodded in reply.  
“She’s cute.” The man noted.  
“Thanks.” Tobin smiled.  
“Are you going home to her?” the man asked.  
Tobin nodded.  
“I’m leaving mine.”  
Tobin froze at that word. Leaving.  
“I had a business deal to sign out in Portland, then I’m back home for their ballet recital.”  
Tobin smiled again.  
“Good luck with your deal.” Tobin wished.  
The man thanked her.  
“How are yours?” Tobin asked.  
“Jane is twelve, Katie is eight, and Joshua is three. And you?”  
“Peyton is seven months.”  
The man smiled.  
“I’m Luke.” He offered, sticking a hand out and smiling.  
“Tobin.”   
The two smiled as they shook hands.  
Tobin’s boarding section was called over the loudspeaker, and Tobin stood, gathering her stuff.  
“Nice to meet you, Luke.” Tobin smiled.  
Luke nodded, standing to help hand Tobin her bags.  
“Same to you, Tobin.”  
Tobin waved and smiled one last time before turning to the boarding line and stepping in behind someone, looking back at Luke and smiling as she watched him look at a picture in his wallet with a hopeful look.   
“Excuse me, ma’am.”   
Tobin looked up to face a good five feet of space between her and the ticket scanner, and mumbled apologies as she hurried forward and proceeded to board the plane, falling into her seat.  
Tobin took out her phone one last time before the flight took off and sent a quick text to Lauren, Allie, and Mana each.  
on my way : )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this isn't the longest it could be :/ new update soon though!


	8. Chapter 8

Tobin mumbled and groaned as she felt someone shaking her arm, and blinked out the sunlight hitting her face as it began setting below the clouds. The midfielder finally opened her eyes to meet the confused face of a flight attendant. Tobin shot up and looked around the now-empty plane, sarcastically thanking the two people that had been sitting next to her for waking her up.  
“Ma’am, we need to clear the plane for the next flight.” The woman said.  
Tobin nodded and yawned, finding her carry-on already waiting in the aisle.  
“Sorry.” Tobin mumbled.  
The woman shrugged and walked back towards the front of the plane where the attendants were all watching Tobin with curiosity as she took her bags and left the plane, going back through the gate to find baggage claim.   
“Tobey!”  
Tobin spun around by baggage claim to see Allie and Mana waving happily at her, and Peyton was giggling happily in Allie’s arms.  
Mana came running over and enveloped Tobin in a tight hug while Allie followed cautiously with Peyton, who had her arms out as she reached for Tobin. Allie handed the little girl over and Tobin kissed Peyton on the cheek, hugging her tightly.  
“Mommy missed you.” Tobin cooed.  
Peyton giggled and Mana and Allie stepped aside to grab Tobin’s bags while the midfielder had some time with her daughter.  
“How was she?” Tobin asked, turning to her friends.  
“Perfect. We took her to the beach a few times and the park a lot.” Allie shared.  
Tobin smiled and nodded. The four of them left the airport and Tobin got into the backseat, buckling Peyton into her car seat and beginning to get the baby to sleep.  
“What about Alex?” Mana asked quietly.  
Tobin shrugged.  
“I was able to keep her distant.” Tobin replied.  
She’d just tell them about the custody battle later. It would be better for everyone.   
The car ride back home took almost thirty minutes, and the four girls were home soon, Allie and Mana putting Tobin’s luggage in her bedroom while the midfielder took Peyton aside to feed her lunch.  
“Kelley is coming Friday, so we have three days to clear her room out.” Tobin called.  
Allie came back from putting away luggage and sighed, sitting on the chair opposite Tobin. Peyton was eating her mashed carrots quickly, and Tobin smiled while wiping the other half of it from her face.   
“Bue switched with her?” Mana asked, joining them and grabbing an apple.  
Tobin nodded.  
“Bue headed straight to Jersey.”  
Allie’s phone went off and she quickly read the text, looking at Tobin pleadingly.  
“Jose said the waves are killer right now.” Allie practically begged.  
Tobin laughed.  
“How about we all go? I could use some relaxation.” Tobin suggested.  
Allie leapt up and ran off to get her surfing gear ready, and Mana laughed.  
“I’ll watch Peyton if you wanna surf.” Mana offered.  
“Nah, it’s okay.” Tobin answered.  
Mana nodded, tossing her apple core in the trash.  
“I’m gonna surf, then.” The Hawaiian stated, following the path Allie had run.  
\---   
Barely less than an hour later, Allie and Mana were surfing with Jose while Tobin lay on the sand with Peyton. They had been forced to spread out a towel so Peyton wouldn’t try to eat the sand.   
The sun was an hour and a half from setting and Tobin was currently sitting cross legged on the blanket, Peyton asleep in her arms. Allie and Mana were on their final wave, and Jose had already set his board down and gone to change into dry clothes for the picnic.   
“Hey, Tobin, you wanna go catch some waves? I’ll watch Peyton.” Jose offered, walking back from changing.  
Tobin looked to the waves and back at Peyton, shaking her head.  
“I should stay with Peyton.” Tobin replied.  
Jose nodded in understanding and sat on the other end of the blanket, starting to take the food from the various bags they were in. Mana and Allie quickly joined them, telling stories about what had happened while Tobin was gone.   
Tobin found herself growing more and more distant from the conversation as her friends spoke, and the midfielder was soon staring at Peyton, her heart aching.   
Peyton deserved the best for herself. She deserved to have a mother who loved her and wanted her. She deserved to grow up in Portland, surrounded by people who helped raise her and who loved her as much as Tobin. She deserved so much more than Alex could give her.  
“Tob?”  
Tobin looked up to meet the concerned faces of her friends.  
“Yeah?” Tobin asked, frowning.  
“Are you okay?” Mana asked carefully.  
Tobin sighed and blew a strand of hair from her face as she shook her head.  
“No. I’m not.” Tobin answered honestly.  
Allie separated her hand from Jose’s to pat Tobin’s leg and Mana continued to watch, unsure of what to do. Tobin looked around her group of friends and to Peyton, smiling as her little girl stirred in her sleep.   
Tobin put a gentle hand on Peyton’s head and carefully stroked her hair into place, tucking a strand behind the toddler’s ear.   
The midfielder faced her friends and spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.  
“Alex wants custody of Peyton.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I’m going to need you guys to understand that Peyton’s actions don’t match what she should be doing at her age… It’s part of the storyline and so please just know that I’m aware a seven-month-old can’t talk or walk.


	9. Chapter 9

Tobin sat in the lobby of the Portland Court House, tapping her foot and picking at a loose piece of string on her jeans. Peyton was running around outside with Allie and Mana as they tried to help Tobin relax and focus a little before the case was opened in the court room, and the midfielder was running through various scenarios in her head while she waited for the room to open.  
Alex was waiting in a separate lobby.  
Tobin looked to the door when it flew open and Mana came walking in, Peyton on her hip and Allie following them. The little girl was wearing a pink Hawaiian print dress Mana had gotten her from Hawaii, and her dress color matched that of Tobin’s blouse.   
“Tobin Heath, please take yourself and your party to court room number three.” One of the desk secretaries announced.  
Tobin stood up and led the four of them to the assigned court room, opening the large wooden door and slipping inside. Her attorney was already sitting in his place on the left hand side of the court room, and he stood to greet Tobin when she entered the main floor.   
“We start in five minutes.” Luke, Tobin’s attorney, notified her.  
Tobin nodded and turned to face Allie and Mana, the Hawaiian handing Peyton across the small wooden barrier.  
“Mommy will see you soon.” Tobin promised, kissing Peyton on the cheek.  
The baby giggled before a CPS worker came to pick up Peyton. Tobin took her seat and stared straight ahead, ignoring the pair of eyes she could feel watching her. Tobin could hear Alex’s attorney talking to her and planning their attack out, and smiled when they were interrupted by the judge entering the court room.  
They started the basic routines to begin, and Tobin’s attorney spoke first since her last name came first in the alphabet. He spoke about Alex’s actions and Tobin sat in her chair in silence the entire time, watching the judge.   
By the time Luke had finished, forty-five minutes had passes and the judge ordered a five minute break. Tobin turned to face Allie and Mana, who were in the front row, and let her eyes wander to Alex’s side of the room.   
Naturally, all of Alex’s family was there, and Tobin’s family had also come. Aside from their families and Allie, Mana, and Jose, nobody else was in the room to watch.   
The judge walked back in and called the case to order again, and Tobin spun around to face the front while Alex’s attorney spoke.  
Tobin sat in her chair while he spoke, stating that Tobin hadn’t been helpful before Alex left and how the woman was unfit to be a single mother by proof of her needing help from teammates. The midfielder did her best to not lash out during the time Alex’s attorney spoke, and when the judge ended his speech, Tobin let out a long sigh.  
“What now?” Tobin asked, facing Luke.  
“You get the chance to defend yourself.” He replied.  
Tobin nodded and the judge called her up to the podium, where Tobin took a seat and cleared her throat, looking at Allie and Mana and then to Luke.  
“Please begin, Ms. Heath.” The judge requested.  
“Thank you, sir.” Tobin smiled.  
The midfielder took a deep breath and closed her eyes, sending a quick prayer before beginning.  
“Eighteen months ago, Alex and I decided we wanted to have a child, and we wanted to have one before the world cup came around and got in the way. So, we talked a lot and weighed our options and decided I would go through the process since it was harder for Alex to miss things like photo shoots and commercials. Through the entire pregnancy, we stood by each other and we picked names and designed the nursery and we had the best time getting ready for this new chapter in our lives. I couldn’t wait for us to be parents and I knew Alex would make the best mom in the world. Seven months ago, Peyton Kelley Heath was born and I don’t think I’ve seen Alex happier. We spent every waking moment with Peyton, making sure she was okay and doing well, and she was light of our lives. Three months ago, I started noticing that Alex seemed too tired to help with Peyton and she was always away to do work or run errands and I was understanding because I knew she was doing a lot with soccer and going to interviews and photo shoots. And then two months ago, I had finally put Peyton to bed after she had been crying all night because of a fever, and I went back to our bedroom to see Alex packing suitcases of her stuff. When I asked her, she said she couldn’t take it anymore and was leaving. I saw Servando come and pick her up, and the next day I called Allie and Mana. They could see I was struggling emotionally from having my wife leave me so suddenly, and they decided they would move in with me to try and help and fill Alex’s spot. When I went to our national team camp a month ago, Alex demanded to see Peyton and know everything about her and she barged into all of my conversations and on the night she left- hours before her plane ride- came to my room and gave me the court appearance papers.” Tobin recounted.  
The judge nodded and Tobin watched as the jury took some notes. The spokesman nodded to confirm their completion before Tobin was dismissed from the booth and Alex took her place.  
“From the time Tobin became pregnant, I noticed she didn’t know what she was doing. She didn’t have the experience and she wanted to make the room sports themed. I knew she didn’t have the knowledge to be a mother, and when Peyton was born, I didn’t like how she approached motherhood. I found myself leaving the house so I could take a break from the stress Peyton was bringing and I decided to sign with Bayern. They took me and I left without a word, knowing Tobin wouldn’t approve. At the camp, she refused to speak to me and she wouldn’t let me see pictures or videos of my daughter. So I decided to take action if she would act that way.” Alex stated matter-of-factly.  
The judge went through the same process Tobin had gone through and Alex sat back down next to her attorney.  
“We will now go on a fifteen minute break in which all parties present beside the jury, police, and myself must leave the courtroom. You will be escorted back inside when the time is up.” The judge announced.  
Tobin stood and stretched, following Allie and Mana out the doors and into the hallway.  
“What now?” Tobin asked Luke.  
“We wait for the jury to make their decision.” Luke replied, sighing.  
Tobin nodded and turned to her family, accepting their hugs and grants of luck.   
When the fifteen minutes were up, two officers came back to escort Tobin, Alex, and their parties back into the courtroom and they took their respective seats.  
“The jury has come to a decision.” The judge announced.  
He cleared his throat and looked at Alex for a brief moment before shifting his view to Tobin before looking back at his paper.   
“The jury has granted custody of Peyton Kelley Heath to,” the judge took in a deep breath and met the two women’s faces one last time before reading the name aloud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *please note that I have never before been in a court room, therefore all events that are talked about in this chapter are based on things I have seen in movies and think would happen in a case like this.


	10. Chapter 10

“Alexandra Morgan.” the judge announced with a sigh.  
Tobin felt the oxygen drain her lungs.  
“No no no no no no no no no.” Tobin repeated silently.  
Tobin felt like the room was closing in on her and tried to slam her eyes shut, blocking out the cheers of Alex's family and the concerned calls from her own loved ones.  
"Oh God, it's not true." Tobin muttered.  
"Tobin!"  
The midfielder suddenly felt the world spinning and her hands shook as ragged breaths shook her body. Everything was distant and Tobin could hear Peyton's cries as the baby was brought back into the room and taken to Alex, but she couldn't see the girl through the blurriness being provided by the tears forming in her eyes.   
A pair of arms was suddenly wrapped around the midfielder and it was only the that she realized she had been walking towards Peyton. The person drug Tobin out of the courtroom and into the hallway, where friends and family waited. Tobin turned to face the person and fell into the open arms of Mr. Heath, who held his daughter close. He let his youngest daughter sob as she had as a little girl and watched as his strong little girl broke down in tears.  
"How could she?" Mrs. Heath muttered in reference to Alex.  
Katie and Perry were busy comforting each other and didn't hear Mrs. Heath's question.   
"How could she?" Mrs. Heath asked a little louder, earning the attention of her family members.  
Tobin's sobs had subsided to small hiccups and the young midfielder looked at her mother.  
"Mom-" Tobin began, her voice breaking her she met her mothers sad eyes.  
Mrs. Heath sighed loudly and Tobin stepped out of her father' should, walking over to embrace her mom.  
"I don't know." Tobin whispered.  
Mrs. Heath sniffed and nodded and Tobin pulled away and looked at the defeated expressions on her friend's and family's faces. They all looked equally upset about the loss and Tobin was sure she'd never seen Mana so sad before. And Allie had never looked more willing to kill someone before this whole experience, either.   
There was silence amongst the group of people before the large wooden door swung open and Alex walked out, Peyton perched on her hip and crying loudly while Alex tried (and failed) to soothe her. Tobin looked at the floor while they passed, flinching away when Servando, of all people, reached out to touch her shoulder softly. The midfielder waited behind Katie until the group of Morgans had passed by and left the courthouse, leaving the group alone again.  
A few moments passed before someone walked out of the courtroom, shuffling papers in their hands before spotting Tobin and jogging over.  
"Ma'am I need you to sign these papers for custody of your daughter." the man said.  
Tobin's head dropped and she shook her head.  
"I'm not the mother." Tobin whispered in defeat.  
The man frowned and mumbled an apology, to which Tobin ignored as he hurried off and left Tobin alone. The midfielder turned, her expression sad and tears filling her eyes again asshe words replayed in her mind.  
"I'm not the mother." Tobin repeated softly, a tear rolling down her cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feedback is appreciated


	11. Chapter 11

Tobin walked into the team hotel like a zombie, the bright smile gone from her face as it had been for the past two weeks since the courtroom experiences. The midfielder had been cooped in her house for those past two weeks, with Mana and Allie doing the packing for Peyton and making sure the midfielder operate like she was supposed to- wake up, eat, go to practice, eat, go to practice, eat, sleep. It was all Tobin did now, and was why Tobin was bombarded by Cheney and A-Rod once she stepped through the hotel doors.  
"Tobin!" A-Rod shouted.  
The midfielder looked to her friends and accepted their hugs as they took her bags and guided her to the elevator.  
"We have our first practice tomorrow at eight." Lauren explained.  
Tobin listened to the information quietly and followed the two women onto the fifth floor and straight to room 508.  
"We'll see you then?" Lauren asked more than stating as she set Tobin's bags down outside the door.  
A-Rod handed Tobin the key to her room and the two gave Tobin a final hug before heading down the hallway to their own rooms.  
Tobin sighed and slid her key into the door lock, pushing open the door when the light flashed green and almost falling over when her roommate attacked her with a hug.  
"Tobey!"  
Ashlyn enveloped the young midfielder in a hug and grabbed her bags, setting them on the empty bed.   
"Hey, Ash." Tobin replied blankly.  
Ashlyn sighed and watched Tobin move her bags to the floor, lying flat on her bed when she was done. The goalkeeper continued to watch as Tobin stared at the ceiling.  
"Why?" Tobin asked.  
Ashlyn did a double take to make sure Tobin hadn't fallen asleep before raising an eyebrow and stopping, setting the shirt she was folding aside.  
"Huh?" Ashlyn asked.  
Tobin got up and looked at Ashlyn.  
"Why did she leave only to come back and take her away from me?" Tobin asked.  
Ashlyn sighed and looked back at Tobin, who was watching the goalkeeper's every move, watching intently as if she could read her thoughts.  
"I don't know, Tobin." Ashlyn finally admitted.  
Tobin shrugged and closed her eyes, taking in a long breath and laughing dryly.   
"I did everything I could to make us a family, Ash. I thought she was happy. God, Ash, I tried so hard to make it all perfect." Tobin fought against the tears.  
Ashlyn nodded as Tobin spoke, listening carefully.  
"And I could feel her slipping away and I could feel everything falling apart so I tried a little harder but I knew it wasn't working."  
Tobin sighed.  
"And when she finally left, I thought it was okay because I had known- I was ready. But then she pulled this and- and- I,"   
Ashlyn watched as Tobin gave up searching for words. The midfielder still had a sad expression on her face, and Ashlyn moved to sit beside her.  
"I won't even try to say I understand because I don't, but I will tell you what I've learned through my years of terrible luck and it's that everything happens for a reason. I don't know how it I'll work for you or Peyton but it will work the way it's supposed to." Ashlyn explained.  
Tobin nodded in agreement.  
"Now can we stop being sad and have fun?" Ashlyn teased.  
Tobin cracked a small smile and punched Ashlyn in the arm.  
"You're an ass."  
\---  
The two friends had talked for the rest of the night, leaving Tobin tired when she got up at seven- about four hours after the two had finally fallen asleep. Ashlyn was up and changing already, smirking at Tobin as she slowly got up.  
“Hurry up, slow poke, we still need to eat.” Ashlyn laughed.  
Tobin shot her a cold glare and lazily changed into her practice gear, stuffing her cleats into a drawstring bag and following Ashlyn out the door.  
“Dude, I think we talked too much last night, my throat is sore now.” Tobin stated, stepping into the elevator behind Ashlyn.  
The blonde goalkeeper shrugged.  
“Just drink some orange juice.”  
Tobin laughed softly and cracked a small smile.  
“Geez, thanks, mom.” Tobin teased.  
Ashlyn lightly shoved Tobin before they exited the elevator and stepped into the ballroom reserved for the team during their stay. Once they stepped in, Tobin shivered and pulled her half zip from her drawstring bag, pulling it over her head.  
“Dude, it’s cold in here.” Tobin commented.  
Ashlyn scoffed.  
“I think you’ve enjoyed too many Portland heatwaves.” Ashlyn replied.  
“Portland doesn’t get heatwaves.” Tobin defended.  
Ashlyn mimicked the midfielder’s tone of voice before earning herself a punch in the arm followed by a kiss from Ali.  
“Don’t tease our little Tobey.” Ali scolded.  
Tobin frowned at the use of the nickname but replaced it with a smile when Ali looked her way.  
“Huh, Tobin?” Ali asked.  
Tobin nodded emphatically and Ashlyn rolled her eyes.  
“I’m just gonna get my food and go sit in the corner.” Ashlyn moped, leaving the two women.  
Ali laughed and looked at Tobin once Ashlyn was gone.  
“How have you been?” the defender asked softly.  
Tobin shrugged.  
“I’m a little tired, but I’m holding up.” Tobin answered.  
Ali pursed her lips together.  
“Let me know if you need anything, okay?” Ali asked.  
Tobin nodded promisingly and added a strip of bacon to her plate, walking off to join Cheney and A-Rod at their table with Kelley and Hope.  
“I don’t know if I sat too long on the plane or something, but my legs feel so jello-y.” Tobin noted, putting her food down.  
“I dunno, man, but I feel fine.” Kelley replied, chewing on a piece of bacon.   
“Babe, close your mouth when you chew.” Hope scolded.  
Kelley obeyed innocently and Tobin laughed, earning looks of surprise from her friends.  
“How did you sleep?” Lauren asked cautiously.  
“For the four hours I got, I slept well.” Tobin answered.  
“Four hours?” Lauren clarified.  
Tobin nodded.  
“I’m a bit tired but it’s whatever. It’s only supposed to be a light practice anyway.” Tobin added nonchalantly.  
Lauren nodded slowly in half-agreement before Tobin began eating, putting the conversation behind them and leaving Hope to bring up a story about something her cat had done last week. By the time Tobin had finished eating, there was fifteen minutes until practice, so the group of five set off across the street to the fields.   
Tobin started putting on her cleats once they got there, coughing to clear her throat a few times before A-Rod gave her a skeptical look.  
“You okay?” the blonde asked.  
Tobin nodded and took a swig of water from one of the Gatorade bottles before Tom called the team to start warm-ups.   
It wasn’t until the jogs that Tobin started to feel slight chest pain and the coughing returned, more often this time than before practice. Halfway through one of the jogs, the midfielder was hit with a coughing fit and stopped running, double over as she coughed.  
“Tob, are you okay?” Kelley asked.  
The midfielder tried to shake her head through the coughing.  
“Someone get her water.” Hope called out.  
Tobin coughed into her hand again and brought it away when her coughing finally stopped and Lauren rushed to her with a bottle of water in her hand.   
“Oh my God.” Lauren breathed when she looked at Tobin’s hand.  
The midfielder head was spinning when Lauren made the comment and Tobin had enough time to look at her hand before her knees went weak and she dropped to the grass.  
All she remembered seeing was blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please don't hate me :| lol


	12. Chapter 12

Tobin woke up to a beeping machine and something over her face as she struggled to breathe. There was something in her arm, too, but she couldn’t tell what it was and didn’t have the energy to try and sit up.  
“You’re awake!”  
Kelley rushed to Tobin’s side.  
“I need to text Chen or she’ll kill me.” Kelley laughed.  
Tobin scrunched her eyebrows in confusion and tried to ask Kelley where she was when a coughing fit overcame her. Kelley’s eyes widened and she helped Tobin into a sitting position, getting her a cup of water.  
“Try not to talk.” Kelley ordered.  
Tobin frowned and Lauren came rushing in, Amy following her.  
“Tobin!” A-Rod shouted.  
Tobin forced a smile and tried to speak when she remembered what Kelley told her. Instead, Tobin opened her arms and knitted her eyebrows, hinting she wanted to know what happened.  
“You passed out.” Lauren said, as if Tobin hadn’t known.  
“You’re in the hospital.” Kelley added.  
Tobin closed her eyes and nodded before opening them again and pointing to the mask.  
“You were coughing up blood so we called the paramedics and they took you here. The doc said you have pneumonia.” Kelley continued.  
Tobin frowned before another round of coughing came and she struggled to breathe. When her coughs didn’t subside, A-Rod left to call the doctor, who followed her in seconds later.  
He checked his charts and faced the other three women.  
“Since she has woken up, we need to move her to breathing tubes through the nose.” he explained.  
They all nodded and the doctor mumbled something about a nurse getting them before leaving. A short nurse came in a moment later with plastic tubes in her hands as she hurried to take Tobin’s mask off. The sudden relief of the mask brought Tobin into a fit of coughing as she tried to take in air, struggling to do so. The nurse’s eyes widened and she stuck the breathing tubes into Tobin quickly, flipping on the machine and sighing as Tobin took a few straggling breaths of air before regaining composure.   
The nurse smiled softly and left the room shortly afterward, leaving the girls alone again.  
"Thes to come in." A-Rod read from her phone.  
Tobin nodded to say yes and the team started coming in groups of three while Lauren, Kelley, and Amy waited outside.  
They all voiced their concerns while Tobin was left to lie there-- any attempt to speak resulted in immediate coughing.  
Syd walked in last, with Alex trailing and Peyton in front of her.  
"She wanted to see you." Alex explained.  
Peyton ran to Tobin's bedside, smiling.  
"Mama!" she shouted.  
Tobin forced a smile before she started coughing, blood coming up and onto her hand as she wiped it on the bed sheets. Alex watched with a horrified expression and Syd closed her eyes, shaking her head sadly.  
"Lie down?" Peyton asked.  
Tobin nodded and tried to lift the toddler into her bed, only resulting in another for of coughs that didn't suppress as easily as before. Every time Tobin took in a new breath, she was hit with more coughs, and Lauren was soon running inside and telling Syd to call a nurse. Alex lifted Peyton and hurried from the room as nurses ran in with water and a new oxygen tank to trade the old one.  
Tears filled Tobin's eyes as Peyton kicked and cried while Alex carried her.  
"Mama! Mama!" Peyton shouted.  
Tobin felt sudden darkness creeping in on her as she struggled for air, slipping into the darkness with one final statement.  
"Take care of her, please."


	13. Chapter 13

The next week was filled with visits from teammates between their month long camp and them bringing flowers or things to make Tobin feel better during her seeming coma. The midfielder could only see people who were reported to have all necessary and up-to-date vaccinations, which didn't really later because she spent most of her time sleeping, and of she was awake it was to eat or use the bathroom. The coughs were similar to bronchitis and Tobin had been given a face mask again to try and keep the dust and particles from getting into her mouth and throat.

By the end of the week, Tobin was able to stay awake longer and the doctor had given enough medicine a day to minimize the coughing a little but not by much. Lauren had decided to call Jrue in to watch Tobin during the nights and to text updates during practices or team meals. 

Alex hadn't brought Peyton back since the first day and would come often right after practice to watch Tobin sleep and talk to her a little before slipping away before anyone could see her. 

It had been exactly one week when Tobin had dared to ask Cheney her burning question.

"Am I going to die?" Tobin asked weakly.

Lauren looked up from her phone quickly, eyes wide.

"Tobin." she said sternly.

Tobin removed the oxygen mask band out in her breathing tubes.

"Chen, I'm serious." Tobin replied.

Lauren sighed and Tobin noticed the tears in her eyes, grabbing the Indiana native's hand.

"If I do, just make sure Peyton knows I always loved her."

Lauren shook her head and dipped her chin to her chest.

"You're not going to die, Tobin." the midfielder stated.

Tobin squeezed Cheney's hand.

"Promise me, Chen." Tobin half begged.

Lauren sighed and looked up at Tobin, tears in her eyes.

"I promise." she whispered.

Tobin half smiled, already feeling tired again and her lungs starting to burn with the warning signs of another coughing fit. She waved to Cheney, which was now their sign, and the older girl got a cup of water for when the coughs subsided. When the coughs finally faded, Tobin relaxed into the bed and Lauren brushed her hair to the side.

"You should sleep- Jrue will be here soon and I'll see you after dinner." Lauren promised.

Tobin nodded, closing her eyes and letting sleep take over her.

\---

That night wasn't like the calm and unevenly full ones that had happened before.

When Jrue got a text from Lauren that she was hung up at the hotel getting stuff for Tobin and needed Jrue to get food at a nearby fast food place, Tobin was left alone. Nurses hadn't yet started their rounds of dinner for the patients, so the hallways were fairly empty.

The person slipped easily through the halls and into Tobin's room, closing the door behind them and scooting Jrue's chair closer to her bedside. The person took in Tobin's sight- she was so weak and frail, and even wheezed slightly in her sleep. 

"Tobin, I'm sorry." 

There was still silence.

"Please don't die. Not with the way it's been lately." 

The raspy voice continued.

"Don't leave Peyton wondering where her other parent is."

Alex's blue eyes filled with tears.

"Tobin, I'm sorry. Please don't leave us." Alex whispered.

Tobin stirred slightly in her sleep and coughed a few times.

"Please don't leave Peyton."

The door to Tobin's room opened and Alex frantically jumped off the stool as Lauren walked in with a bag of stuff for Tobin.

"Uh, sorry, I'll head out now." Alex mumbled.

Lauren raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"What are you doing here?" Lauren asked.

"I just wanted to see her." Alex whispered, looking to the floor.

"Well you have." Cheney stated the obvious, stepping out of the doorframe to signal Alex to leave.

The forward continued to look down as she left the room, almost getting knocked over when Jrue rounded the corner.

"Sorry." he mumbled, frowning when he noticed Alex.

Alex looked down again.

"What are you doing here?" Jrue asked.

"I just wanted to see Tobin and I'm going back now." Alex answered.

Alex waited for a response, and when she didn't get one, she started walking away again.

"She doesn't hate you."

Alex stopped and turned.

"What?" she asked.

"Despite everything you've done, Tobin doesn't hate you." Jrue repeated.

Alex raised an eyebrow curiously.

"She just hates what you've done."


	14. Chapter 14

Four days following Alex's visit, Tobin was allowed to go back to the team hotel so she could try to regain fitness while recovering. She was given an oxygen tank to use for the next day and a list of medications to get once she got to the hotel.   
Lauren and Jrue hadn't told Tobin about Alex coming to see her, and Alex hadn't mentioned anything either when she joined Syd in visiting the day before Tobin was discharged-- the forward had stood in the corner silently.  
When Tobin got back to the hotel, Lauren helped guide her and Jrue carried the oxygen tank so Tobin wouldn't have to wheel it behind her, and the two took Tobin to the ballroom for dinner and a final team meeting.  
The dining hall was filled with chatter throughout dinner, and Tobin sat in the far corner again, lazily picking at her food with no desire to eat.  
"Tobin, you need some food in you." Lauren urged.  
Tobin scowled and stabbed her broccoli.  
"I'm not hungry." Tobin replied.  
The waiters came to take away plates and Tobin stacked her nearly full plate on the top, relaxing into her chair while Tom spoke to everyone about how great of a camp it was and how good it was to have Tobin back.   
Tobin, in the meantime, fought the drowsiness as her eyelids fought to fall closed, and the midfielder put her head down on the table halfway through the speech.  
When Tom finally stopped talking, the four women and one guy surrounding Tobin stood and looked to the midfielder, who was crashed out on the table. A-Rod made a cooing sound and took a picture while Kelley took one to scribble on for snapchat. Hope rolled her eyes at the actions and Lauren looked to Jrue, silently asking for him to carry Tobin to her room.  
The basketball player did so, stepping forward and scooping Tobin into his arms as they headed out of the ballroom together, parting at the floor to go to their rooms.   
Tobin woke up an hour after being dropped off at her room, and Ashlyn was nowhere to be found. The nightmare that had woken Tobin haunted the back of her mind and the midfielder slipped on a pair of sandals, leaving the oxygen tank and walking out of her room and down the hallway.   
The midfielder didn’t stop until she found herself outside in the hotel’s garden, a maze of green bushes ahead of her. Tobin breathed in a short sniff of the flowers before letting out a cough and maneuvering through some of the bushes before finding a bench. The midfielder took a seat and closed her eyes, taking in the fresh air when a voice startled her.  
“I didn’t know anyone else came here.”  
The raspy voice brought Tobin from her moment of relaxation and the midfielder tensed as she watched Alex slowly walk towards her.  
“I’m glad you’re okay.” Alex added when Tobin didn’t say anything.  
Tobin nodded.  
“Me too.” she answered.  
Alex took a cautious step towards the bench and Tobin shrugged, gesturing for the forward to sit down next to her. Alex smiled and took the empty spot on the bench.  
“I know this is a lot to ask,” Alex began.  
“Please don’t ask something that’s going to ruin everything I’ve done to rebuild.” Tobin half begged.  
Alex gulped and shook her head.  
“I was just going to ask if you could watch Peyton tonight.” Alex half whispered.  
“Alex, please don’t do this to me. Please don’t give me an hour and take her away again.” Tobin pleaded.  
Alex frowned.  
“But, Tob, after this we go to Germany, and-”  
“Alex, please stop.”  
Alex rolled her eyes.  
“I thought you loved her?”  
Tobin opened her eyes and glared at Alex, her eyes cold.  
“Don’t you dare say that.” Tobin warned.  
“Well you won’t babysit her for a few hours.” Alex pointed out.  
Tobin scoffed and stood up, starting to walk away when she turned around and faced Alex.   
“I can’t believe you!” Tobin shouted, “To have the guts to leave our family, take my daughter, and then tell me I don’t love her? How fucking dare you! How dare you tell me that I don’t love my daughter that you left! You took her from me and I still haven’t been able to forgive myself for letting a bitch like you take the very same little girl you walked away from! I can’t look at her without feeling sorry for myself and for her that she has to live with the woman who didn’t want her so badly she left the country!”  
Tobin was starting to take ragged breaths from the lack of oxygen and Alex stood to make her stop yelling.  
“I can’t believe you would have the nerve to try and tell me that when you haven’t even seen how badly your fucking actions have affected me!”  
Alex put up a hand to stop Tobin when the midfielder started gasping for air between words, body shaking as she fought for air.   
“You took my daughter from me!” Tobin shouted.  
“Tobin!”   
Alex looked past the defender to see Ali running towards them, Ashlyn trailing with her oxygen tank and breathing tubes and mask. Lauren was following them at a distance, and Ali got to the midfielder first, taking Tobin into her arms to try and get her to relax.  
“Breathe, Tobin, breathe.” Ali demanded.  
Tobin fought for the air through her ragged attempts at keeping the tears away, and Ashlyn slid the mask over the New Jersey native’s mouth, Lauren holding tightly to her hand as Ali told her over and over again to breathe.   
“Relax, Tobin.” Ali murmured.   
The midfielder struggled against the oxygen mask for almost five minutes before Ali and Ashlyn were able to calm her enough to help her to her feet. It wasn’t until then that anyone seemed to notice Alex watching the entire scene, a horrified expression on her face.  
“What did you do?” Lauren asked coldly.  
Alex’s eyes went wide.  
“I didn’t do anything- I just asked her to babysit, and,” Alex stammered.  
“Stop hurting her, Alex.” Lauren warned.  
“I didn’t mean-”  
“Stop, Alex! You never mean it! You never do, but it happens anyway!” Lauren yelled.  
Alex shook her head.  
“Cheney, please, I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Alex fought.  
“Of course you didn’t, Alex! Because you didn’t cause all this at all.” Lauren replied sarcastically.  
Alex let a tear roll down her cheek and shook her head, trying to make Lauren listen to her.  
“You’re hurting her, Alex.”  
Cheney reminded the forward. Alex blinked away the tears, taking in a ragged breath as she put out a hand to stop Lauren from leaving.  
“Just stop hurting her.” Cheney added before following after Tobin.


	15. Chapter 15

The next few days, Tobin left herself cooped up in her room aside from practices, when she went through small exercises with Dawn. Alex and Tobin hadn't been around each other since the argument, and Peyton was no longer brought to anything Tobin would be at.   
Tobin had been taken off the oxygen mask and there was only a week left of camp until they got a month long break before the final camp until the a World Cup- a two week preparation during the first two weeks of May* before meeting in Canada in the beginning of June.   
Tobin had already finished packing her clothes and was sitting in her hotel room, alone again because Ali and Ashlyn had gone to the pool with some other girls from the team. The midfielder was scrolling through her Instagram feed for the first time since the court results, and couldn't stop herself from finding Alex's page to see photos of Peyton. Tears were in the girl's eyes as she watched each video and found the first video Alex had posted since winning custody of Peyton.  
"MY baby girl <3" the caption read.  
Tobin suddenly found her anger rising as she read the caption and watched the video of Peyton in the courtroom walking alongside Jeri- the only member of the family she was able to be calm around at that time.   
The midfielder was suddenly up and walking out of the room, knocking on Alex's door.   
"Come in.' Alex called.  
Tobin noticed the door holder in the frame and pushed it open, noticing Alex folding Peyton's clothes into a suitcase.  
"Why?" Tobin asked.  
Alex looked up from the clothes she was putting into a drawer.  
"Tobin, stop." Alex answered.  
"No! I deserve answers." Tobin replied.  
Alex rolled her eyes.  
"What answers do you want?" Alex asked.  
"Tell me why you took my child after you left us." Tobin demanded.  
Alex sniffled and sat down on her bed, Peyton's USWNT jersey in her hands as she held the clothing.  
"I wanted a second chance." Alex whispered.  
Tobin cocked an eyebrow, not expecting that type of answer- let alone an answer at all.  
"What?" she asked.  
"I wanted a second chance." Alex repeated, a little louder.  
The forward looked up and Tobin noticed the tears in her eyes.  
"What are you talking about Alex?" Tobin asked, completely confused.  
Alex sighed and laughed slightly, wiping her eyes and setting the uniform aside.  
"Senior year, homecoming party, drinking, and sex." Alex listed.  
Tobin listened, still completely confused as to where Alex was going with this conversation.  
"Quarterback of the football team, my crush, and mistakes." Alex continued.  
Tobin raised an eyebrow, trying to link all of it together.  
"I got pregnant." Alex finally revealed.  
Tobin couldn't keep her jaw from dropping as Alex admitted this news.  
"And I aborted." Alex concluded.  
Tobin was horrified. She wasn't particularly mad at Alex for aborting, but she was angry the forward had never told her.  
"My parents never knew."  
Tobin nodded in understanding.  
"I went alone with Jeri- she's the only person who knows to this day."  
Alex was speaking in gasps as she tried to hold back the tears.  
"I regretted it so badly. And when you got pregnant, it was my chance to see if I made the right decision."  
Tobin listened intently, not sure if she should be angry or not.  
"And it was too overwhelming knowing I could have had my chance sooner."  
Tobin was still confused.  
"Why didn't you tell me?" Tobin asked softly.  
"I was scared." Alex admitted.  
Tobin was angrier now. Alex hasn't trusted her. The girl didn't need to say it for Tobin to know. Alex thought she wouldn't understand.   
"That's bullshit." Tobin commented.  
A look of hurt flashed across Alex's face.  
"What?" she asked.  
"You know I would've supported you, Alex. I would've understood and helped you." Tobin answered.  
Alex was quiet.  
"You didn't need to take my baby."   
Alex looked up when Tobin's voice cracked. The midfielder had tears running down her cheeks.  
“You left us, and you knew you were leaving Peyton in the process, and then you come back and take her from me.” Tobin stated.  
Alex was silent.  
“You could have told me you just wanted Peyton. You could have saved me the heartbreak of having my wife leave me and my child taken from my arms by the woman who abandoned her.” Tobin hiccuped.  
Alex nodded.  
“I know, Tobin, I know.” Alex replied.  
“No you don’t!” Tobin shouted.  
Alex jumped at the sudden outburst. Tobin's jaw was clenched and her fists were at her sides.  
"You lost your baby because you chose abortion, and then you took my baby to make up for it!" Tobin screamed.  
Alex was sure their teammates in the neighboring rooms could hear them.  
"I didn't mean to." Alex replied.  
"Bullshit, Alex! That's fucking bullshit!" Tobin yelled.  
Alex nodded slowly and the door opened as Sydney walked in with Peyton.  
"We're back!" Sydney called.  
The two new additions to the room looked up and Sydney's smile fell when she saw Tobin. Peyton, on the other hand, looked at Tobin happily.  
"Mama!" Peyton yelled giddily.  
Tobin forced herself to forget about Alex and she smiled at Peyton.  
"Hi, baby girl." Tobin cooed.  
Peyton wiggled out of Sydney's grip and ran towards Tobin, her arms open as she approached Tobin. The midfielder picked her up in one swift motion and held Peyton tightly.  
"Mama!" Peyton shouted again.  
Tobin nodded.  
"I miss mama." Peyton told her mother.  
Tobin nodded as tears came to her eyes.  
"I miss you, too, Peyton." Tobin replied.  
Alex cleared her throat and walked over, talking a squirming Peyton from Tobin's arms.  
"Please leave." Alex said in a calm voice.  
Tobin scoffed and started towards the door, hesitating when Peyton called out.  
"I want mama!" Peyton yelled.  
Tobin closed her eyes and took a deep breath before leaving the room and meeting the faces of her teammates as they poked their heads into the hallway. Lauren noticed Tobin's distressed state and left her room to envelope Tobin in a hug.  
"We'll get her back." Lauren whispered so only Tobin could hear.  
Tobin nodded, having no more tears left to cry as she stood in Cheney's embrace, watching her teammates as they slowly retreated back into their rooms. The two women stood for a few minutes until Tobin pulled away.  
"I'm gonna pack." Tobin announced.  
Lauren cocked an eyebrow.  
"Why?" Lauren asked.  
Tobin sighed.  
"I want to go home." Tobin stated, tears filling her eyes as her barriers broke down.  
Lauren frowned and pulled Tobin into another hug.  
"I know how you feel, and I can't imagine the heartbreak you're going through having to see Peyton all the time, but don't let Alex win, Tobin. Don't let her win." Lauren whispered.  
"I don't want to win, Chen. I just want Peyton back." Tobin replied.  
Lauren felt her heart break into pieces with this statement.   
"I know, Tob, I know."  
The midfielder let her head fall onto Lauren's head as she finally let a tear slid down her cheek.  
"Let's go out tonight." Lauren suggested.  
Tobin shook her head.  
"I need some time alone." Tobin replied.  
Tobin pulled away and started walking towards her hotel room, Lauren watching sadly as the midfielder left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Sorry if I've introduced a time frame that differs from this one, but I couldn't find any time hints in earlier chapters :/


	16. Chapter 16

Tobin turned the corner, taking one look to make sure Cheney hadn't followed her before resting her back against the wall and taking in a deep breath. The midfielder's head was spinning with all the new information Alex had told her and Tobin let her body slide down the wall like she had the night Alex left. She let herself cry like the night Alex had left.   
The midfielder continued to sit there for about two hours until she knew the team would have to meet in the lobby for dinner. It wasn't until then that Tobin picked herself up off the floor and shuffled to her room, splashing her face with cold water and drying it off as she took out her contacts and slipped on her glasses.  
"Tob, we have ten minutes until we need to be down." Ashlyn warned.  
Tobin hummed in acknowledgement and pulled her tank top and shorts off, digging around in her suitcase for a pair of skinny jeans and her Rainbow sandals.  
"Which top?" Tobin asked Ashlyn.  
The goalkeeper looked up from her phone and pointed to the one in Tobin's left hand- a white v-neck with the HE>i logo on the front. Ashlyn tossed Tobin a grey beanie to go with it while she pulled her plain grey zip-up from her bag, and Tobin slid them all on.  
"Swaggin'" Ashlyn teased.  
Tobin stuck her tongue out at the goalkeeper and tucked her phone into her pocket, leading Ashlyn out of the room and to the lobby, where everyone was already walking out and onto the bus. Tobin looked around, slipping into an empty seat next to Kelley, who was busy slamming her thumbs against her phone.  
“Who you texting, Squirrely?” Tobin asked.  
Kelley chewed her lip.  
“I’m tweeting.” she corrected.  
Tobin held up her hands in mock surrender.  
“Oh, sorry, didn’t mean to get confused.” Tobin joked.  
Kelley gave her a death stare and shook her head.  
“I’m trying to think of another clever way to make fun of you.” Kelley explained.  
Tobin frowned and Kelley laughed, sinking back into her chair and hitting the “Tweet” button before putting her phone away. Tobin relaxed into her chair, too, feeling exhausted and letting her eyelids close. It seemed to be a minute before they reached the destination and Kelley woke Tobin up. The midfielder stirred and stood up, stretching and following Kelley off the bus. The team was scheduled to sit at seven, and with it being only six thirty, they were allowed time to walk around. Tobin followed the direction of her teammates at a distance, and took in the scenery of the beach off the pier.   
Tobin decided to stop and sit on a bench, watching the surfers finish their rounds for the day. One person in particular wiped out and Tobin heard a soft giggle beside her. The midfielder looked over and spotted a little girl about age seven sitting next to her.  
"That was funny." the girl commented.  
Tobin smiled and nodded. The little girl had light brown eyes and sandy brown hair- tiny freckles dotted her cheeks, too. She smiled widely and looked at Tobin.  
"Where's your Mommy?" Tobin asked.  
The little girl shrugged and Tobin frowned. She then smiled again.  
"Daddy said Mommy and him fought and when he took me Mommy got mad at him so she went away forever." the girl explained.  
Tobin's face fell but the girl smiled brightly, still.  
Tobin nodded and the little girl shrugged again.  
"Where's your Mommy and Daddy?" the little girl asked accusingly.  
Tobin laughed and smiled.  
"They're in New Jersey." Tobin answered.  
Tobin girl frowned.  
"Where's that?" she asked.  
"Do you know where New York is?"  
Nod.  
"Right under it."  
"Under the ground?"  
Tobin laughed and shook her head.  
"No, silly." Tobin laughed.  
The girl scrunched her nose.  
"Well why are your Mommy and Daddy not with you?" she asked.  
"Because I'm a big girl now." Tobin answered.  
The little girl nodded.  
"I wanna be a big girl." the girl noted.  
Tobin frowned and looked at her.  
"It's not that fun."  
The little girl shrugged.  
"I know."   
Tobin raised an eyebrow.  
"Then why do you wanna be a big girl?" Tobin asked.  
The little girl looked at Tobin with a smile.  
"'Cause I wanna find my Mommy. I wanna live with her."   
Tobin froze. She opened her mouth to answer when a voice called out.  
"Tatum!"  
The little girl stood up, frowning.  
"That's Daddy. I have to go." the little girl, Tatum, explained.  
Tobin nodded in understanding.  
"Bye!" Tatum called cheerily.  
The little girl skipped away and Tobin watched a man is his mid-thirties grab her hand and scold her quietly before leading her off the pier. Tobin stared back at the water, mind blank.   
There was a brief moment of silence before Kelley came bounding over, jolting Tobin from her thoughts.  
"Woah, Tob, what happened? You look like you saw a ghost." Kelley asked, sitting down.  
Tobin frowned and shook her head.  
"Nothing, I was just talking to someone."  
"Who?" Kelley asked.  
Tobin looked up.  
"That little girl who just ran off."  
"Huh?"  
"The little girl that was sitting next to me." Tobin repeated.  
Kelley looked around, frowning.  
“Tobin, no one else was on the pier.” Kelley replied.  
Tobin frowned and looked up. Sure enough, the parking lot lacked cars and not a single soul was on the pier- or any signs of it. The midfielder sighed, rubbing her face with her hands and getting up to stretch her body, which was tight from all the sitting she’d done today.  
“Let’s eat.” Tobin suggested.  
Kelley nodded slowly but surely, following the midfielder to the restaurant.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a reeeeaaaaaaalllllyyyyyy long time but I've finally updated!

With four days left of camp, Tom dialed the practice down to small scrimmages and a few footwork drills to ease out of the camp before people returned to their respective teams. Tobin had been forced to sit out after their warm-up jog when the wind picked up the dust from the track and she started coughing, and she was currently acting as co-babysitter for everyone’s kids. Rylie and Reece Rampone were there, in addition to Ryan Shilling, Kaylee Cox, and Peyton. Nia, the team babysitter, was controlling them all with toys and soccer balls and Tobin smiled while watching them.  
“Piggy back Toby!” Ryan shouted.  
The two year old jumped onto Tobin’s back and the midfielder paraded slowly around with him, being slowed down when Kaylee latched on to the midfielder’s leg.  
“Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimbeeeeeer!” Tobin shouted, slowly falling to the floor.  
Ryan and Kaylee took the opportunity to attack Tobin with tickles and the midfielder played along until she got into a sit-up position and scooped Ryan into her arms.  
“Gotcha!” Tobin shouted.  
Kaylee screamed and started running towards Nia, who was watching with a smile on her face. Reece had stopped kicking the ball with Rylie and Peyton was standing next to Nia, watching her mom play with Kaylee and Ryan.  
Alex was busy tracking down one of Lauren’s crosses when she heard laughter coming from the sideline. She quickly tapped the ball into the back of the net before looking over.  
Tobin was being chased by Reece, Ryan, and Kaylie, who had successful caught her and drug her to the floor despite her protests. The three kids then helped Tobin to her feet and the midfielder jogged over for water. Each child opened their mouth and Tobin squirted the water into it, doing the same when Rylie and Peyton came over. Reece made a move to walk away and stepped on a bottle in the process, spraying water on Ryan. The kids all looked at each other before grabbing bottles and squeezing them as tightly as they could, creating a water fight. As if on cue, they all turned to Tobin. The midfielder yelled out and began running in circles, trying to avoid the water.   
Nia was laughing as she watched Tobin get splashed with water and finally collapse when the children all caught her and drug her down, pouring the water on her. The kids all ran to get more water but Alex noticed one of them stayed.  
The little girl watched Tobin tentatively as she played dead and poking her forehead. She moved to open one of Tobin’s eyes and the midfielder made a face at her when she did, causing the girl to giggle loudly. Tobin made another face and peaked one eye open when she bent down closely, causing a scream of delight. This continued back and forth until the little girl finally collapsed on top of Tobin in a fit of giggles. Tobin playfully kissed her on the cheek and the little girl laughed again, bending down closely and hugging Tobin when she rocked forward to sit up.   
Alex wished she didn’t hear what she heard next.  
She wished she had never seen what she saw.  
“I love you, Mommy.” Peyton stated.  
Tobin’s eyes glassed over with water and she smiled, hugging Peyton tightly.  
“I love you, too, Peyton.” Tobin answered.


	18. Chapter 18

The final night before the team was set to go back to their teams, Abby called for a gathering at the bar down the street. Tobin, knowing alcohol never mixed well with her, opted to stay at the hotel and finish packing. Alex did the same, knowing she had to pack and watch Peyton while Nia took the older kids to a movie.   
Around six o'clock, Tobin headed downstairs to find a phone number to order pizza, and she was headed to the elevator when a door opened and someone called out to stop her.  
"Tobin?"  
The midfielder turned around and gave Alex a curious look.  
"Can I talk to you?" Alex asked.  
Tobin frowned.  
"I was gonna get food." she trailed.  
“Can we come?” Alex asked.  
Tobin took a second to think before nodding. Alex slipped into the room for a second before opening the door again and emerging with Peyton in her arms and a diaper bag draped on her other shoulder.   
“Need help?” Tobin offered.  
Alex thankfully handed the bag to Tobin and the midfielder put it on her own shoulder, leading the way to the elevator and into the lobby. The two players made their way down the street to the Cheesecake Factory and sat at a table once they got inside.  
“No stroller?” Tobin asked.  
Alex shook her head.  
“I’m trying more hands-on stuff to help her get accustomed to me.” Alex explained.  
Tobin nodded, not really agreeing with the thought.  
The two girls ordered their drinks and meals and ate quietly when their food come, their only contact coming again when Alex stood up to use the restroom. The forward transferred Peyton to Tobin's arms and walked off. Peyton felt the change and her eyes flew open as soft sobs started to build. Tobin immediately rested the little girl's head on her shoulder and started cooing to her, relaxing her smal sobs into tiny hiccups.  
"Did you have a nice nap?" Tobin cooed.  
Peyton sleepily nodded her head and Tobin set the baby on her thigh as she took a small jar of food from Alex. Peas?   
"Peyton doesn't like peas." Tobin stated as Alex sat back down.  
Her eyes widened momentarily.  
"I wasn't aware of that." Alex answered.  
Tobin nodded and put the food back, putting some of her noodles on a small dish and smashing them with a spoon. Tobin fed the noodles to a waiting Peyton, and she smiled as she ate them all. Tobin didn't hesitate to start trying to put Peyton back to sleep.  
"You're really good with her." Alex commented.  
"It gets easier after a while." Tobin replied.  
Alex knew Tobin didn't mean to sound rude, but she couldn't fight the guilt that built up. Once the waitress brought their check, the two women stood up and Alex took Peyton back, carrying the toddler back to the hotel.   
Outside of Alex’s room, Tobin awkwardly gave Peyton a small kiss before Alex opened their door.  
“It was nice talking to you.” Alex stated.  
Tobin nodded in agreement.  
“I’ll see you at the next camp.” Tobin called as she made her way down the hallway.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is short, but the next chapter will be up soon (:

“I know, Lydia, but I have to watch Peyton.” Alex stated for the hundredth time since Lydia had shown up.  
Lydia was one of the midfielders for Bayern Munchen, and since she had shown up, she’d been trying to get Alex to join the team for some drinks at a local bar.   
“What about the sitter?” Lydia asked.  
“Flu.” Alex answered, sighing.  
“Call a new one!”  
“It’s not that simple.”  
“But you’re Alex Morgan.”  
“So?”  
“Someone will want to babysit your child.”  
“I can’t just do that, Lyd.”  
“And why not?”  
“Because if Tobin found out, she’d-”  
“Not do anything because she wouldn’t find out.”  
“People say stuff on social media.”  
“And she’d believe it?”  
“Maybe.”  
“Look, Alex, even if someone said something, you can challenge them for spilling private information- sue their ass.”  
“But I’ll still have done it.”  
“Then leave her home! She’ll sleep!”  
Alex looked at Peyton, who was busy playing with her toys and hadn’t had a nap yet that day, leaving a likely possibility she would crash early.   
“Fine.” Alex gave in.  
\---   
Three hours and a few beers later, Alex was laughing and dancing with her teammates on the floor of a German night club.   
“See, Alex! I told you it’d be fun!” Lydia shouted over the music.  
Alex nodded and let the music take over her as she danced.  
\---   
“Thomas, look!”  
The German international footballer sighed as his roommate called his name from the other room for the hundredth time that day.  
“Miro, what do you want now?” Thomas asked, entering the room.  
“Look!” Miroslav exclaimed as he pointed out the window.  
“There’s a child on the street!”  
Thomas rolled his eyes, ignoring his teammate and turning to go back to his room when he heard the front door open. Thomas turned around as he saw Miroslav dash out of the apartment and across the street, stopping the child. The midfielder had no choice but to follow the forward, shouting at the guy as he got closer.  
“She looks like that kid who lives down the street. Y’know, apartment 3C.” Miro pointed out.  
Thomas shrugged.  
“So we take her back there.” the midfielder suggested.  
Miro stood and grabbed the blanket the little girl was holding, starting to guide her in the right direction when she tugged at his jeans. The forward turned around and the little girl held her arms up.  
“Carry her.” Thomas urged.  
The forward shook his head and Thomas rolled his eyes, bending down to scoop up the small child.  
The two guys walked the distance to the apartment and knocked on the door as a flustered woman opened it.  
“Oh my God, you found her!” Lydia exclaimed.  
Thomas gave a confused look.  
“She was wandering the streets.” he explained.  
Lydia sighed.  
“God, Alex can’t find out.”  
“Alex?” Miro asked.  
“Her mother- she’s asleep.” Lydia answered.  
The two men nodded slowly, not fully understanding.   
“Thank you.” Lydia said, ushering Peyton inside behind her.  
“Should we be worried? Or on the lookout for her again?” Thomas asked.  
The woman shook her head quickly.  
“No. It won’t happen again.” Lydia answered quickly.  
Thomas and Miroslav both nodded slowly, somewhat convinced, and Lydia sighed abruptly.  
“Well, I better put her to sleep.”  
Thomas nodded.  
“Thanks again.”  
Miroslav shrugged.  
“Bye.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know adding Thomas Muller and Miroslav Klose was a little awkward, but I felt like they’d stick the players with each other and stuff and IDK it was a random selection.


	20. Chapter 20

Alex leaned against the cold marble countertop, elbow propped up on the stone and a glass of wine in her hand as she swirled the purple liquid around inside of it. She squinted slightly as she watched her daughter play school with her dolls in the living room as she took another sip of the alcoholic drink as her mind wandered back.

~~~

“Toby! Toby! Play school with us!” Reece Rampone shouted excitedly.

Tobin laughed from her position on the far side of the hang out room, and the Rampone girls rushed to her, begging for her to join them in the game. 

“Alright, alright.” Tobin finally gave in with a smile.

Reece ushered the midfielder to the front of the dolls and chairs and gave her a stick from outside to use to point to things they had taped to the walls.

“Okay, Reece, can you tell me what this is?” Tobin asked as she pointed to a square on the wall.

“SQUARE!” the little girl shouted loudly.

Tobin praised her before pointing to the doll sitting behind Rylie to her right.

“Now, Raggedy Ann, do you know what color the square is?” Tobin questioned.

“Blue?” Rylie said, her voice high pitched.

Tobin shook her head sadly.

“Rylie, please help Ann out.”

“Red!” Rylie screamed.

Tobin clapped her hands together and gave Raggedy Ann a playful shamed look as Rylie giggled. 

~~~

“No.” Peyton stated after ‘hearing’ her dog answer her question.

Peyton then looked to her stuffed bunny and pointed at it with a pencil, smiling happily and taking a half-licked lollipop out of her mouth and sticking it onto the bunny. 

Peyton found the piece of chalk and scribbled a few lines on the board before looking to the dog again with a look of anticipation on her face. When her lips formed into a frown, the eight month old shook her head sadly as she found her dress-up dolls on the side of the living room and distracted herself with those.

~~~

“How sexy am I?” Tobin asked playfully.

Alex looked up at her girlfriend, who had emerged from the dressing room with a bright pink ruffle dress.

“Oh my God, Tobes.” Alex managed through a fit of laughter.

The two women had made it a hobby to go out on weekends and find the silliest clothes at stores and try them on to make each other laugh. Sometimes, they’d even buy an item or two for future laughs. 

“I’ll take that as a ‘Very Sexy’.” Tobin laughed.

Alex shook her head as the midfielder disappeared for a minute, returning with a white boa and hot red lipstick, her lips pushed out.

“I’m a princess.” Tobin said in a fake British accent.

Alex laughed loudly, slamming a hand over her mouth when she realized how loud she was being. The two women erupted in laughter at Alex’s outburst when their moment was cut short.

“Excuse me, our dressing room is for those interested in purchasing an item. Unless you will be buying that dress, I’m going to have to ask you to remove it and leave our store.”

The worker told them this with pursed lips and an annoyed look on her face. Tobin held back her laughter as she answered.

“I’m sorry. I’ll return these momentarily.” Tobin replied.

The lady nodded as if to say “Yes, you will” and left the two women alone again.

It was that phrase that got the two women kicked out of the store. For life.

~~~

“Princess! Princess!” Peyton exclaimed happily.

Alex caught sight of the doll she was showing her- a darked doll with straight hair and a pink dress on her, lips painted with their signature red. and a white scarf around her neck.

Alex’s breath caught in her throat and the little girl giggled as she found a new doll to dress up in a similar way. 

The forward’s face twisted as if she’d seen a ghost and her hand let go of the wine glass as it fell to the floor, shattering into pieces and spilling purple juice all over the floor. Peyton looked up from her toys with shock on her face.

“Mama?” Peyton asked worriedly.

Alex shook her head, grabbing her keys from the counter.

“Mama has to go.” Alex murmured, hurrying out the door.


	21. Chapter 21

The maid sat in her truck as she sighed, looking up at the apartment she cleaned weekly.  Ever since the woman had returned home with this mysterious child, she was crabby and bitchy towards her and forced her to do extra cleaning and hours for no extra pay.  The woman was still in the process of looking for new clients, though, and couldn’t afford to quit.  

With a big sigh and a roll of her eyes, the woman, whose nametag read Jane, got out of the vehicle and went up to the door, inserting her lock into the key and preparing herself to be yelled at for yet another work day.

When Jane noticed no one was in the house, she let out a long sigh and found the vacuum and broom in one of the closets by the door, starting her cleaning in the kitchen.  There was a large purple pool on the floor along with some broken glass, and Jane sighed at knowing she had been drunk with her daughter in the house.  

There was a small stain on the floor, too, and once Jane managed to get it out, she stood up and headed for the bathroom.  

“Mama?”

Jane nearly jumped out of the skin at the sound of the small voice and spun around to see Alex’s daughter standing by the door, her head poked past the door frame.  She had a sad frown on her face and her eyes were wide with fear.

“Peyton?”

On many occasions, Jane had doubled as a babysitter for Alex.  

“A.”

It was the nickname Peyton used for Jane since she couldn’t say her name.

“Where’s Mama, Peyton?” Jane asked, standing up and taking off her apron.

“Bye bye.” Peyton answered.

Jane raised an eyebrow.

“Mama went bye bye?” Jane clarified.  

Peyton nodded, her once scared look having diminished a little.  

“Where did she go?” Jane asked.

Peyton shrugged and Jane took the tiniest moment to be thankful that Peyton was competent enough to understand what was being asked of her.

“We have to find her.”

“No.” Peyton answered, shaking her head.

Jane raised an eyebrow again and stepped forward, letting Peyton into her arms as she walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen, dialing one of the numbers she had become familiar with while working for Alex.  The person answered on the second ring.

“Alex? It’s seven o’clock.”

Jane sighed.

“It’s Jane.” she corrected.

There was silence on the other end.

“Do you know where Alex is?” Jane asked when Lydia said nothing.

“No, but she called me last night with some weird message that she couldn’t do it anymore.  She might’ve gone and terminated her contract with Bayern and gone back to the states.” Lydia answered.

Jane hummed in agreement and hung up, looking back down at Peyton before shakily dialing a number she hoped she would never have to call.

“Hello, what is your emergency?” the voice answered quickly.

Jane swallowed sharply and took in a breath of air.

“I’d like to report an abandoned child.”

 

 


	22. Chapter 22

Tobin effortlessly tapped the ball into the part of the net Nadine has left open while following the cross, and smiled as Allie ran over and leapt joyously next to her before going back to line.  

"Nice finish, Tobin!" Paul called.

The midfielder had seemed to find a new passion inside of her as of recent times, and everyone could tell how much she had improved on the field.  

"May I help you?" Paul then asked.

Tobin looked up from the grass to see two men standing by the staircase onto the field, stadium security behind them.  Tobin saw the sunlight reflect off their badges as they walked towards Paul, meeting him halfway.

The taller man skipped introductions altogether and murmured some words to Paul, which he shook his head at and responded.  The shorter, thicker man decided to step in, his face straight as he spoke.  Paul finally shrugged and turned away from them.  The three men made their way back to the team, where Tobin had found herself standing behind Allie.

"We have a warrant to speak with Miss Heath." the shorter man stated simply after a few moments of silence.

The team was silent and Tobin shuffled further behind Allie.

"What for?" Sincy spoke up.

The taller man gave the captain a short glare.

"Reasons that cannot be disclosed at the moment." he answered simply.

Tobin found herself suddenly walking out from behind Allie, and the two men looked towards her before the shorter one nodded and stepped forward, grabbing her arm.

"Thank you." the taller man said to Paul, leading them all off the field.

Tobin stayed silent as she was led through the tunnel and into the locker room, where the two men grabbed her things and continued on their way out of the stadium and to their cars.  Tobin was pushed into the back seat and she buckled her seat belt for the short seven minute ride.  The shorter man, who had identified himself as Officer Jones, led Tobin into the large police station and to an interrogation room, where the taller man, whose name tag read Officer Smith, joined them and guarded the door.

"Miss Heath, are you familiar with the name Alex Morgan?" Officer Jones asked.

Tobin have him an incredulous look.

"Yes- she's a," Tobin paused, "teammate."

"Have you spoken with her in the past week?"

"I haven't spoken to her in a few weeks, actually." Tobin answered honestly.

Officer Jones nodded and paused for a second.

"Miss Heath, we have Miss Morgan's child with Child Protective Services." Jones noted.

Tobin raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" she asked.

"She was found alone in Miss Morgan's apartment by neighbors." Officer Jones replied.

Tobin's anger sparked and her hands clenched into fists.

"You're listed on court documents as the second legal guardian on the child."

Tobin nodded.

"Because of Miss Morgan's unknown whereabouts and actions, the services have requested you take the child until other accommodations can be made."

"Accommodations?" Tobin asked.

Officer Jones nodded.

"The service cannot keep her if there is someone who can take her that she legally belongs with."

Tobin nodded slowly.

"I want to see her- where is she?" Tobin asked.

Officer Jones shrugged.

"She's in Germany- where Miss Morgan resides."

Tobin nodded and stood up.

"What do I need to know to get her?"

Officer Jones sighed.

"Miss Heath, it's not that simple- there are documents that need to be signed.  And because you aren't her legal guardian, you must be accompanied by a close relative to Miss Morgan.  When you arrive in America again, the process will be difficult- the child will have no home."

"I'll care for her." Tobin interrupted.

Officer Jones sighed and nodded, knowing Tobin wouldn't accept any other circumstances.

"Officer Smith will take you to our custody center where you will be guided along the next steps." Officer Jones explained.

Tobin nodded and stood up, letting Officer Smith guide her to the far end of the station, where an older lady was sitting behind the front desk.

"Kate, this is Tobin Heath- the one who is taking temporary 'foster' custody of the child in Germany." Smith said, finger quoting the word foster.

The lady smiled warmly and nodded, pressing a button on her desk and returning to her work while another older woman came through the doors, heading straight for Tobin.

"Hello, my name is Laney Wilson.  I'll be the one who foresees your travels to Germany and back and control the legal stuff." the woman informed.

Tobin nodded and Laney handed her a packet.

"In there, you'll find your travel tickets and identification badges- all you need to do is pack a bag, get your passport, and meet me back here tonight at eight o'clock so we can head to the airport."

Tobin nodded as Lamey told her the information, her mind swirling as Laney spoke.   but one though stuck in her head- where was Alex?

Tobin effortlessly tapped the ball into the part of the net Nadine has left open while following the cross, and smiled as Allie ran over and leapt joyously next to her before going back to line.  

"Nice finish, Tobin!" Paul called.

The midfielder had seemed to find a new passion inside of her as of recent times, and everyone could tell how much she had improved on the field.  

"May I help you?" Paul then asked.

Tobin looked up from the grass to see two men standing by the staircase onto the field, stadium security behind them.  Tobin saw the sunlight reflect off their badges as they walked towards Paul, meeting him halfway.

The taller man skipped introductions altogether and murmured some words to Paul, which he shook his head at and responded.  The shorter, thicker man decided to step in, his face straight as he spoke.  Paul finally shrugged and turned away from them.  The three men made their way back to the team, where Tobin had found herself standing behind Allie.

"We have a warrant to speak with Miss Heath." the shorter man stated simply after a few moments of silence.

The team was silent and Tobin shuffled further behind Allie.

"What for?" Sincy spoke up.

The taller man gave the captain a short glare.

"Reasons that cannot be disclosed at the moment." he answered simply.

Tobin found herself suddenly walking out from behind Allie, and the two men looked towards her before the shorter one nodded and stepped forward, grabbing her arm.

"Thank you." the taller man said to Paul, leading them all off the field.

Tobin stayed silent as she was led through the tunnel and into the locker room, where the two men grabbed her things and continued on their way out of the stadium and to their cars.  Tobin was pushed into the back seat and she buckled her seat belt for the short seven minute ride.  The shorter man, who had identified himself as Officer Jones, led Tobin into the large police station and to an interrogation room, where the taller man, whose name tag read Officer Smith, joined them and guarded the door.

"Miss Heath, are you familiar with the name Alex Morgan?" Officer Jones asked.

Tobin have him an incredulous look.

"Yes- she's a," Tobin paused, "teammate."

"Have you spoken with her in the past week?"

"I haven't spoken to her in a few weeks, actually." Tobin answered honestly.

Officer Jones nodded and paused for a second.

"Miss Heath, we have Miss Morgan's child with Child Protective Services." Jones noted.

Tobin raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" she asked.

"She was found alone in Miss Morgan's apartment by neighbors." Officer Jones replied.

Tobin's anger sparked and her hands clenched into fists.

"You're listed on court documents as the second legal guardian on the child."

Tobin nodded.

"Because of Miss Morgan's unknown whereabouts and actions, the services have requested you take the child until other accommodations can be made."

"Accommodations?" Tobin asked.

Officer Jones nodded.

"The service cannot keep her if there is someone who can take her that she legally belongs with."

Tobin nodded slowly.

"I want to see her- where is she?" Tobin asked.

Officer Jones shrugged.

"She's in Germany- where Miss Morgan resides."

Tobin nodded and stood up.

"What do I need to know to get her?"

Officer Jones sighed.

"Miss Heath, it's not that simple- there are documents that need to be signed.  And because you aren't her legal guardian, you must be accompanied by a close relative to Miss Morgan.  When you arrive in America again, the process will be difficult- the child will have no home."

"I'll care for her." Tobin interrupted.

Officer Jones sighed and nodded, knowing Tobin wouldn't accept any other circumstances.

"Officer Smith will take you to our custody center where you will be guided along the next steps." Officer Jones explained.

Tobin nodded and stood up, letting Officer Smith guide her to the far end of the station, where an older lady was sitting behind the front desk.

"Kate, this is Tobin Heath- the one who is taking temporary 'foster' custody of the child in Germany." Smith said, finger quoting the word foster.

The lady smiled warmly and nodded, pressing a button on her desk and returning to her work while another older woman came through the doors, heading straight for Tobin.

"Hello, my name is Laney Wilson.  I'll be the one who foresees your travels to Germany and back and control the legal stuff." the woman informed.

Tobin nodded and Laney handed her a packet.

"In there, you'll find your travel tickets and identification badges- all you need to do is pack a bag, get your passport, and meet me back here tonight at eight o'clock so we can head to the airport."

Tobin nodded as Lamey told her the information, her mind swirling as Laney spoke.   but one though stuck in her head- where was Alex?


	23. Chapter 23

The instant Tobin stepped off the plane, she was greeted by Laney and man who seemed to be in his early thirties.  The two already had Tobin's bags and they headed straight for the waiting car.  

Traffic lengthened the car ride to almost an hour, and by the time Tobin got to her hotel room, it was past dinner time.  Laney promised to have something sent up to the room and that there would be a wake-up call around eight in the morning.  Tobin tiredly nodded in response to everything Laney said and smiled when the woman let her head up to her room.

As promised, there was a cart of food in Tobin's room when she arrove, along with an envelope with schedules and a few more credentials.  Tobin slid them all into her backpack and took the food off the cart, settling in for the night.

\-----

Tobin sat in the uncomfortable chair of the child protective services station, her leg bouncing up and down nervously as butterflies swarmed around her stomach.  The midfielder' snails had been bitten down during the car ride, and she was left with her phone as she turned it over in her hands repeatedly.

"Miss Heath?"

Tobin looked up at Laney, who was standing by the door.  A Tobin shot out of her chair and followed the older woman down a hallway.

"Get out your ID- they need to verify your identity first." Laney noted.

Tobin pulled out the proper papers and documents, handing them to a man at the desk in the back of a hallway that revealed a bigger lobby than before.  Tobin continued tapping her foot as the man stamped everything and asked Tobin to sign papers before he stood up, pointing to a side door.

Laney led them towards it and pulled it open when it buzzed, allowing Tobin in before her.  The two women walked down another hallway with rooms on all sides before La eh stopped abruptly in front of one marked K.  The older woman scanned a card and the door clicked open.  There was a small desk inside of a tiny room behind the door.  Tobin could see another lady at the desk, who smiled at them.

"You must be Laney and Tobin?" the woman asked.

Tobin nodded and flashed her ID as the woman pressed a button.  Laney grabbed the woman's arm, stopping her.

"You'll have fifteen minutes while we work on some papers." Laney explained.

Tobin nodded and stepped forward as the woman pressed the same button as before, releasing the lock.  The door opened and the midfielder stepped into the room.  

It was decorated with stuffed animals and books for children of all ages.  There were puzzles and toys on shelves and a bed and crib in the furthest corner.  Tobin noticed Peyton sitting in the crib, playing with some of the toys.

"Peyton?" Tobin breathed out.

The little girl continued playing and Tobin stepped to the crib, gently touching the girl's head.  Peyton turned her head a little bit and a small broke out on her face for a second before tears filled her eyes.

"Mommy." the toddler cried out.

Tobin lifted her daughter from the crib, holding her head against her chest as her tiny cries shortly subsided.  

Their time seemed too short when Laney walked in with some papers and Tobin quickly signed them as the woman from the desk joined them.

"Her belongings were packed into two suitcases over there." the woman examined, pointing to the corner.

Tobin nodded and Laney grabbed the items while Tobin held a now sleeping Peyton tightly against her body, unwilling to let go.

"Thank you." Tobin mumbled as they left.

\-----

There wasn't much time to get Peyton settled before Tobin was back off to a national team camp, this time with Peyton by her side every step of the way.  Tobin only told a few girls what was going on and had left it up to them to spread the word- Peyton had been found alone and no one knew where Alex went.  

But it didn't keep away the swarming women when Tobin got to the hotel.

Lauren stepped forward and took a sleeping Peyton while Hope and Ashlyn grabbed their bags.  Tobin went around for obligatory hugs and greetings before she turned to Lauren.

"Meeting is at five; dinner's directly after." Lauren shared.

Tobin nodded and headed up to the room, knowing she had to set Peyton down so she could have a proper nap.  And so she could rest, too.

\-----

The first two "let's get used to everything" days of camp went by quickly and without much talk of Alex other than the coaches explaining she would arrive on the first day of training and join everyone then.  It was also known that Syd would be rooming with the fellow forward.

When the first day of training came, Tobin got up earlier than normal to dress Peyton and get breakfast before dropping her off at the babysitter's room.  Luckily, Peyton remembered the woman and quickly got used to her again.

Tobin waved good bye to her daughter and headed to one of the vans with Cheney, A-Rod, Kelley, and Hope, and got inside as they pulled away to head to the fields.  

"Tobin, you've been looking good on the field." Hope complimented.

Tobin blushed, but it was true.  Tobin looked even more comfortable on the field than she had before, and even the coaches were making some positive remarks.

About fifteen minutes into practice, Tobin heard someone gasp and she spun around to see someone making their way across the field and to the benches.

Dawn was immediately next to the person, who Tobin recognized as Alex.  A hungover Alex who had been crying and had recently been given "some".  Tobin quickly turned away when Alex stopped at a trash can and was sick.

"Are you okay with her here?" Lauren asked.

Tobin nodded.

"I'm not letting her mess with me." Tobin insisted.

“I know, but with Peyton being left, and-”

“Chen- I appreciate your concern but I don’t want to be babied.” Tobin interrupted.

Lauren immediately stopped talking and nodded.  Tobin went back to stretching and blocked out the sound of Dawn yelling at Alex.

“I’m going to call the police.” Dawn said strictly.

Alex’s eyes widened and she seemed to sober up.

“Please don’t- I need this distraction.” Alex begged.

“The national team isn’t a distraction- it’s your job and you are expected to show up for your job ready to work on time.  You’ll be sitting out from today’s practice, and I expect you out here before breakfast tomorrow to make it up with some fitness.” Dawn scolded.

“Fitness before the testing?” Alex shrieked.

Dawn nodded.

“Those are the consequences, Alex.  You broke the rules, now you’ll pay for it.” Dawn replied.

Alex hung her head and Dawn waved her off the field and to the sidelines to go through some small stretches.  

Tobin didn’t turn around once.  

\-----

The bus pulled into the hotel roundabout and Tobin hurried off the bus with Cheney and Kelley following closely at her heels.  A-Rod was busy taking care of Ryan and told the midfielder she would join them soon.

“What do we do?” Kelley asked.

Lauren had picked up a sleeping Peyton and was bouncing her lightly on her hip.  Tobin was pacing back and forth, running a hand through her wet hair.

“I can’t let Alex see her.” Tobin noted.

Lauren and Kelley nodded.

“I don’t even know if I can see her.” Tobin admitted.

Cheney knitted her eyebrows.  Earlier, Tobin had insisted on showing Alex she didn’t affect her.  Now, the girl seemed vulnerable and hurt.  Lauren immediately handed Peyton to Kelley and pulled Tobin into a hug.

“We’ll figure something out.” Cheney whispered.

“We’ll take her down.” Kelley added with a head nod.

Tobin pulled away, wiping her eyes.

“No.”

Kelley gave her a confused look, but Cheney knew the conversation all too well.

“What?” Kelley asked.

Tobin shook her head.

“No- we stop her fair and square.” Tobin explained, a cold glare on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you guys think!


	24. Chapter 24

Tobin bounced Peyton up and down on her knee, spoon feeding the eight month old her dinner.  There was more mashed potatoes on her face than she'd consumed, and it led to Cheney, A-Rod, Kelley, and Ali taking photos of the little girl and cooing over her.  

"She's so cute!" Kelley screeched.  

Peyton giggled in response and Tobin set the spoon down, noticing that Peyton no longer wanted to eat.

"Tob, I swear, she looks just like you!" Ali added.

Tobin smiled and let her daughter hold onto her finger tightly as she reached for Kelley's phone.  Kelley let the baby take it and she stared at the scream dreamily while Tobin wiped her face with a wet towel.  

"She is too cute, Tobin!" A-Rod squealed.

Tobin shook her head, sipping her water.

"Ryan's cute, too." Tobin replied.

A-Rod shrugged it off and Kelley was able to retrieve her phone.  Peyton has followed the phone to Kelley and was now being handed over to the freckled defender as she started crawling all over her and clinging to Kelley's jacket.  

Tobin was taking a picture of her daughter with one of her "aunts" when her phone started ringing.

"Can you watch Peyton for a second?" Tobin asked.

Kelley happily agreed and there was a chorus of "yes" around the table as Tobin excused herself.  

"Hello?" Tobin asked into the phone.

There was some brief shuffling on the other end.

"Hi! Is this Miss Tobin Heath?" the voice asked.

"This is she," Tobin trailed.

"Good evening, Miss Heath! My name is Joseph Keller, and I work for the state of Oregon."

Tobin hummed in agreement.

"We understand that a Peyton Kelley Heath-Morgan is currently under your care?" Joseph Keller asked.

Tobin hummed in agrreement again.

"That would be true." she answered.

May you hold to speak to our director of child services?" Keller asked.

"Yes." Tobin answered.

Music filled the other end of the line and Tobin impatiently tapped her foot against the carpet of the lobby.  Tobin could see from the side of her eye as Alex exited the dining room with Dawn, probably talking about her extra practices to make up for her late attendance that morning.

"Miss Heath?"

Tobin was taken out of her thoughts by the voice on the other end.

"This is she." Tobin repeated.

"This is Olivia Vill, Director of Child Services in Portland, Oregon."

Tobin greeted the woman and waited for further information.

"I have some information regarding the legal possession of Peyton Kelley Heath-Morgan." Olivia explained.

"Uh-huh." Tobin replied.

"The state of Oregon has evaluated Alex Morgan's current issues and the judge on your case," Olivia noted.

Tobin hummed.

"The judge has ruled temporary custody to you, Miss Heath, until you and Miss Morgan can appear in court for a new case." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is short :/


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's short!

Tobin sipped her water as Peyton crawled over her old play set that had been sitting in the backyard collecting dirt.  It had been two weeks since Tobin came back home with Peyton and Mana and Allie happily agreed to help Tobin clean everything and care for Peyton again.  The two women were currently folding Peyton's set of laundry while Tobin waited for Peyton to tire out.

Tobin took the final sip of her water bottle and set it aside for recycling, walking to Peyton.

"What are you making?" Tobin asked.

Peyton held up her creation- seven LEGOs stacked on top of each other creating a multicolored tower.

"It's very pretty." Tobin complimented.

Peyton giggled.

"Do you want a snack?" Tobin asked.

Peyton nodded and tossed aside the LEGOs while Tobin picked her up and set her on the couch, putting a small bowl of Cheeto-like snacks* in front of Peyton.  Tobin flipped on Disney Channel for her daughter and prepared herself for the marathon of Good Luck Charlie that was about to begin.

"Those are a good idea." Mana noted.

Tobin looked over as the two women joined Peyton and Tobin on the couch.

"What?" Tobin asked.

"The video diaries." Mana explained.

Tobin raised an eyebrow, nodding in agreement.  Peyton was bopping her head to the rhythm of the theme song at the beginning of an episode as Tobin watched her.  The little girl had no idea how crazy her life was- that almost no one else in the world was living like her right now.  The girl could probably use some help in knowing how she was "related" to so many people, too.

"Tob, your phone is ringing." Allie noted.

Tobin was snapped out of her thoughts as she stood up, taking her phone from the outlet and answering her call.

"Tobin." Luke breathed.

Tobin's lawyer sounded out of breath when Tobin answered, but he quickly gained composure.

"Yeah?" Tobin replied.

Luke cleared his throat.

"I just got off the phone with the judge on your case." Luke began.

Tobin hummed at the end of each of Luke's sentences.

"They have studied Miss Morgan's case and come to an agreement," Luke explained.

Tobin held her breath hopefully.

"You can earn back custody of Peyton."

 

 


	26. Chapter 26

Tobin looked around the courtroom for the second time that year. Peyton was now sitting in the lap of a CPS worker on the side of the room, and Alex sat in the chair on the other side of the room from Tobin. The judge eyed the clock before hitting his gavel on the desk. The judge looked around the room and finally to the jury, who gave a simple nod. With that signal, the judge eyed the piece of paper on his desk.

“Full custody of Peyton Kelley Heath-Morgan has been given to Tobin Powell Heath.”

Tobin signed the agreement papers and Peyton was taken out of the room to collect her things while the court was dismissed. A CPS worker came to Tobin with Peyton in her arms and handed over the child and her belongings, which Mana took for the midfielder. Tobin mumbled goodbyes to her teammates that had come for support and the three women headed back to the house.

“Peyton looks exhausted.” Allie commented.

Tobin looked in the rearview mirror and noticed her daughter staring out the window and struggling to keep her eyelids from drooping closed. Tobin smiled softly and Mana snapped a quick photo to put on Instagram later. Slowly, Peyton’s thumb found its way into her mouth and her eyelids won the battle as her head fell to the side and sleep won. Mana took another picture.

“She looks just like you.” Allie commented.

Tobin nodded and smiled. Cindy had shown her tons of pictures of Tobin as a baby and begged Tobin to mimic them with Peyton, so the midfielder had a fresh idea of how she looked as a baby. The only thing missing for Peyton was the blonde hair.

The girls are got home fairly quickly for a Sunday afternoon, and Tobin carried Peyton to her room and set her in her crib to let her sleep longer. The midfielder then went out to the living room, where Allie and Mana were waiting for her.

"We need to start planning." Tobin announced.

The two women nodded in agreement and Tobin took a seat.

"Let's go." Tobin began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter is really short. I had some stuff written out but it was really, really, really, really bad. I’m serious- you wouldn’t have liked it at all. So, I decided to just leave it out. And I'm sorry the ending is weird...


	27. Chapter 27

Tobin smiled as her daughter roamed around the park, climbing on the playground equipment and trying to avoid getting sand in her shoes.  At only eleven and a half months, the little girl moved quickly and everywhere, and she was already making Tobin’s life pretty difficult- despite the midfielder having help from two other women.

In a fast week, Tobin would be in the ballroom of a nearby hotel, celebrating Peyton’s first birthday with practically everyone they knew- Tobin’s family, college friends, childhood teammates, college teammates, national teammates, national friends, current and old club teammates, friends, agents, Alex’s family, and other close people.  In total, there was supposed to be almost two hundred people in attendance, and there was about another hundred who couldn’t attend.  

\---

Tobin was a huge mess of stress on the day of Peyton’s first birthday party.  Before the group of four women left the house to go set up for the party, Tobin had run around for almost an hour trying to get Peyton to cooperate and take her bath so she could put on her dress.  Then, the group got stuck in traffic and their driving time doubled.  

Before the party, Tobin was hurrying around between setting up tables and games to racing after Peyton.  

Guests had started to arrive before the invitation indicated, and Tobin was glad they were close family and friends who could help them finish decorating.  

Now, Tobin was sitting back and watching as Peyton ran around with Cheney and A-Rod.  The two girls looked over and Tobin smiled and waved.  They then bent down and whispered to Peyton before picking her up and carrying her off.  Tobin kept sitting, taking in the scene around her.  She almost jumped when she felt two tiny hands on her back.

“I massage Mama.” Peyton stated.

Tobin smiled and A-Rod appeared in front of her.

“We just taught her the chopping one.” A-Rod laughed.

Tobin could tell- her daughter’s little hands were currently making chopping motions on her back.  The midfielder enjoyed the short massage before getting up so she could thank their guests for coming.  Her speech was short and to the point, something Tobin was pretty good at, and people started to leave afterwards.  They each stopped to say good-bye and wish Peyton a happy birthday, which the little girl sat through and smiled and everyone, giving them all kisses on the cheek when they hugged her.  

Despite Tobin’s protests, most of their current teammates stayed behind to help clean up the room, throwing away streamers and some of the decorations.  

Tobin looked around at all of her closest friends and teammates and smiled, remembering what Mana had suggested.  The midfielder sighed, pulling out her phone to record a small diary for Peyton.

"Peyton, it's Mommy, and I just want to tell you something very important," Tobin began.

A few people stopped to watch Tobin record the diary entry.

"As you're growing up, you're going to face many things someone of your age shouldn't have to face.  You're going to be sitting at a camp one day, with the pressure from everyone around you building up and pushing you down and making you feel vulnerable and useless.  You're going to feel like you're failing everyone who means anything to you.  You're going to want to come home and give up on your dreams because it'll seem so much easier than facing everything that made you nervous or scared.  But don't give up on your dreams because something makes you scared- and don't come home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, it's a super cheesy ending, but I figured it could tie in how Tobin wanted Peyton to not make the mistakes Alex made, causing the family to fall apart. And that’s obviously where the fic ends. I’m sorry the quality died down as the fic went on- I tried to keep it equal but it just wasn’t working.


End file.
